This Air India poster promotes Executive Class, featuring the airline's mascot disguised as a passenger enjoying music, drinks, and reading, all while seated in comfort. As part of Air India’s campaign to distinguish itself from its competitors, the cheerful and rotund Maharaja first appeared on an in-flight memo pad in the mid-1940s. He was conceived by S.K. (Bobby) Kooka, then Air India's Commercial Director, and illustrated by Umesh Rao, an artist at J. Walter Thompson in Bombay. The Maharaja quickly became a beloved symbol of the airline. Over the years, he was cleverly used to introduce new flight routes, and his humorous antics and witty puns allowed Air India to promote its services with charm, subtle humor, and distinctive style.