President Droupadi Murmu approved the introduction of a new design for the President’s Standard and Colour and Indian Navy Crest for the Indian Navy on Monday.

The new design for the President’s Standard and Colour and Indian Navy Crest were unveiled at Visakhapatnam on Navy Day on December 4.

Resonant to the ongoing National endeavour to move away from the colonial past, the Naval Ensign was amended to a new Design that draws inspiration from our history where in the Red Horizontal and Vertical Lines on the White Ensign were replaced with an Blue Octagon with Twin Golden Borders encompassing the National Emblem atop a clear anchor and ‘National Emblem ‘Satyamev Jayate’ inscribed on the stock of the Anchor. Further, the National Flag was retained on the upper left canton.

The erstwhile design of the President’s Standard and Colour for the Indian Navy was instituted on Sep 6, 2017. The Indian Navy adopted a new Naval Ensign on Sep 2, 2022, and the new design of the President’s Standard and President’s Colour awarded to the Indian Navy incorporates this change.

The new design of President’s Standard and Colour highlights India’s glorious maritime heritage and also symbolises a powerful, courageous, confident and proud Indian Navy.

The Indian Navy Crest has been amended to replace the foul anchor with a Clear Anchor. The clear anchor depicts steadfastness of the Indian Navy to deter any challenge in maritime domain, and represents clarity in vision, mission and aspirations of its sailors. The Clear Anchor also depicts Indian Navy’s commitment towards securing the Coast and Maritime Interest of India.  The change would imply removal of the symbolic nautical rope in the Crest Designs.  The Modified Indian Navy Crest has been introduced with effect from December 4, 2022 on the occasion of the Navy Day 2022.

The New Naval Crest has a traditional naval clear anchor below the Ashoka Lion Head with ‘शं नो वरुणा:’ inscribed below it, which is an invocation from the Vedas meaning ‘May the Ocean God be Auspicious unto us’. The phrase was adopted as the motto of the Indian Navy on the suggestion of Shri Chakravarti Rajagopalachari, the first Indian Governor General of Independent India.  The National Motto ‘सत्यमेव जयते’ meaning ‘Truth Always Triumphs’  is inscribed on the Stock of the Clear Anchor. 

In line with the change in the Indian Navy Crest, minor amendment to the Crest of the Indian Naval Command Headquarters (which has the Indian Navy Crest in the inset) has also been approved by the Hon’ble President of India.

The President’s Standard and President’s Colour are awarded to static and mobile formations of the Indian Navy respectively, to acknowledge their distinguished and meritorious service to the Nation. The Indian Navy was the first among the three Services to be awarded the President’s Colour on 27 May 1951 by the then President Dr. Rajendra Prasad.