The Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on September 02, 2022 unveiled the new ensign or flag of The Indian Navy which was inspired from the seal of the great Indian Maratha Emperor Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, during the occasion of the commissioning of the India's first Indigenously Aircraft carrier(IAC-1) INS Vikrant in Kochi. This replaced the earlier ensign that contained remnants of the British St. George’s Cross.
The Indian Navy adopted its new ensign on 2 September 2022.
What is in the new ensign or How the New Naval Ensign Looks
The Indian Navy’s new flag, adopted on 2 September 2022, have and features:
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A white background
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A blue-gold octagonal emblem inspired by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj
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The National Flag (Tiranga) in the top-left corner
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A blue horizontal stripe and vertical stripe intersecting the emblem
(symbolizing India's maritime heritage) -
The Navy Crest embedded inside the octagon.
What Each Symbol Means
1. The Octagonal Shield (Shivaji Maharaj’s Influence)
The octagonal shape represents the eight directions of ancient Indian maritime tradition.
It draws inspiration from the seal of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, who is regarded as the father of the Indian Navy.
It symbolizes:
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Protection
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Naval power
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Indigenous maritime identity
2. The Navy Crest Inside the Octagon
The crest contains:
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The Indian emblem (lion capital)
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An anchor, representing steadfastness and strength at sea
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A scroll with “शं नो वरुणः” (Sham No Varunah)
– meaning “May the Lord of the Seas be auspicious unto us”
This motto has been a part of the Navy since independence.
3. The Blue Cross Lines
The older ensigns had the St. George’s Cross, a remnant of the British era.
The new design replaces it with:
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A blue vertical line
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A blue horizontal line
These symbolize:
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India’s distinct maritime identity
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Indigenous naval tradition, without colonial symbols
4. The National Flag (Tiranga)
The upper-left canton shows the Indian tricolour, representing:
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Sovereignty
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Commitment to the nation
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National pride
The Old ensign
The ensign of the Indian Navy has undergone multiple changes since India gained Independence from the British empire. Before Independence the Navy’s ensign carried the Union Jack on the upper canton along with St. George’s Cross. But in 1950, the Union Jack was replaced by the Indian flag but the cross was retained.
Also in 2001, St. George’s Cross was replaced with the naval crest but the cross was brought back in 2004, this time with the national emblem superimposed in the middle of it. And in 2014, “Satyamev Jayate” was written in Devanagari script, right below the emblem.
Why Was the Ensign Changed?
1. To Remove Colonial Symbols
2. To Honor India’s Own Maritime Heritage
3. To Create a Distinct Naval Identity
4. To Symbolize Aatmanirbhar Bharat (Self-Reliant India)
Background of Indian Navy ensign -
- The origins of the Indian Navy date back to the colonial period. According to information shared on a website of the Indian Navy, on October 2, 1934, the name of the naval service was changed to Royal Indian Navy (RIN), headquartered at Bombay (now Mumbai).
- After independence, with the partition of India, the Royal Indian Navy was divided into the Royal Indian Navy and the Royal Pakistan Navy.
- With India becoming a Republic on 26 January 1950, the prefix 'Royal' was dropped and rechristened(give a new name) as the Indian Navy.
- After independence in 1947, the Union Jack was replaced by the tricolor in the canton.
- The horizontal and vertical red stripes, symbolizing St George's Cross, are reminiscent of the colonial era, and are likely to be dropped in the included design for the new Flag.
- On 26 January 1950, the Crown in the naval crest, depicted with an anchor, was replaced by Ashokan Lion for the Indian Navy's Emblem. The invocation of the Lord Varuna (the sea god) in the Vedas was adopted for its symbol, whose motto was: "Sam no Varunah", which means: 'Be auspicious unto us Oh Varuna'. The inscription 'Satyameva Jayate' was included in the crest below the state Emblem.
