Cheetah-inspired logo chosen as face of India's bullet train project

On a train ride to Poland, brothers Michael and Pierre van Melle came up with the vision of a peppermint flavored caramel candy to go by the name of ___. This was the beginning of a Fresh New World.

A creation by a National Institute of Design (NID) student has been chosen as the logo for India's bullet train project.

The student created a cheetah outline on a locomotive engine for the National High Speed Rail Corporation (NHSRCL), a joint venture between the Centre and state government for implementing high speed rail projects.

The logo, already visible on the NHSRCL's official website, was chosen in a contest, according to The Indian Express. The contest was judged by a three-member screening committee, led by famous artist Satish Gujral, sources said were quoted as saying. The other two panelists were a NITI Aayog member and a National High Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL) official.

“Three entries were shortlisted after an initial screening. The top entry was selected from NID, Ahmedabad, the second from the School of Planning and Architecture in Delhi, and the third from the NID in Bengaluru,” the source added.

The participants were required to send in their applications between April 19 and May 18. Sources told the paper that the cheetah was chosen as it represents speed. The logo has blue and red lines, which according to the sources "symbolise calm and reliability."

India's first bullet train, which will run between Ahmedabad and Mumbai, is set to be operational from August 15, 2022. Covering the cities in less than three hours, the foundation stone for the project was laid by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi last month.