Narendra Modi to replace India’s ‘colonial’ naval flag after 90 years to commission first locally built aircraft carrier

India will reveal a new design at the commissioning of the Vikrant, which the PM’s office touted as ‘a significant step’ for military self-reliance

India’s current naval banner features a cross of Saint George, the national flag of England and a legacy from its past as a crown dependency

Reading Time:2 minutes

Published: 5:01pm, 31 Aug 2022

India will unfurl a new naval flag that retires a British colonial symbol to mark the formal debut of the country’s first locally built aircraft carrier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s office said.

The current ensign features a prominent cross of Saint George, the national flag of England and a legacy from India’s nine decades as a crown dependency, which ended with independence in 1947.

Modi will reveal the new design on Friday in southern Kerala state at the commissioning of the Vikrant, which his office touted as “a significant step” for military self-reliance.

“During the event, the PM will also unveil the new naval ensign, doing away with the colonial past and befitting the rich Indian maritime heritage,” his office said in a statement on Tuesday.

The Saint George cross has been a feature of the naval ensign since 1928, except for a brief spell between 2001 and 2004, when the Hindu nationalist government of the time replaced it with a blue Indian Navy crest.

It was reintroduced after complaints by service members that the crest could not be easily spotted against the colour of the sky and the ocean, local media reports said.

The Vikrant enters service alongside a smaller aircraft carrier bought second-hand from Russia, which has long been a major arms supplier to New Delhi.