Twitter launches dedicated Republic Day emoji honouring Indian Air Force

Ahead of the 72nd Republic Day celebrations amidst the Covid-19 pandemic, Twitter India has announced the launch of a dedicated emoji to honouring the Indian Air Force (IAF). The Bitmoji shows three jets moving in formation and leaving a trail of tri-colour behind which is similar to the ones we have seen in the Republic Day parades over the years.

Twitter said that the Indian Air Force will also tweet out the recently launched emoji with hashtag #TouchTheSkies and urge the country’s citizens to show their respect to the men and women in blue.

“Emojis have become a popular form of expression and are a light-hearted way to engage in conversations with one another. On this day every year we strive to bring Indians from all parts of the world together on Twitter. With COVID-19 restrictions in place, we needed to find a way to bring the parade to the virtual public square. This year’s emoji is not only a special tribute to the fly past – the showstopper of the parade each year – it is a way of bringing people together in the spirit of celebration,” Payal Kamat, Public Policy, Twitter India, said in a press statement.

For the sixth time in a row, Twitter has launched a dedicated emoji to celebrate Republic Day. In the previous years, there have been several emojis including the one representing the map of India, Indian tricolor, India Gate, Ashoka Chakra, and a tricolor symbol of India Gate. Earlier, Twitter has also launched special emojis for the Diwali festival, Independence Day and other dates of significance including Ambedkar Jayanti, Gandhi Jayanti.