The story behind the Rupee symbol: how it came into existence?

How did the rupee symbol come into existence: Tamil Nadu government replaces national rupee symbol with Tamil script in Budget 2025 amid language controversy.

The DMK-led Tamil Nadu government has decided to remove the official rupee symbol (₹) from the state’s Budget 2025, replacing it with the Tamil script. This marks the first time a state has rejected the national currency symbol, taking its resistance to the National Education Policy (NEP) to a new level. The rupee symbol ‘₹’ was designed by Udaya Kumar, the son of a former DMK MLA and currently an IIT professor. 

Editorial | Currency concerns: on the rupee

The M.K. Stalin government has replaced the rupee symbol with the Tamil letter for ‘Ru’ in the state budget logo, amid the ongoing three-language controversy. 

Before 2010, the Indian rupee was often abbreviated as “Rs” or “INR” in international markets, leading to confusion with other currencies like the Pakistani and Sri Lankan rupees. In 2009, the Ministry of Finance announced a national competition, inviting designers, artists, and the general public to submit their ideas for the rupee symbol. The initiative aimed to create a mark representing India’s economic strength while embracing its cultural roots.

The iconic rupee symbol (₹) has a history that dates back to 2010. Udaya Kumar, then a postgraduate student at IIT Bombay, was on the verge of joining the design department at IIT Guwahati when he won a national competition to create India’s official currency symbol, beating hundreds of other entries. He spent a lot of time researching, from history to the modern times. Initially, he started with graphic elements, but then moved to scripts for he thought it could best identify the country. The Devanagari script, he thought, was especially unique. 

After extensive research, Udaya Kumar Dharmalingam combined the Devanagari ‘Ra’ for rupiah and the Roman ‘R’ for rupees to create the rupee (₹) symbol, giving it a distinctly Indian yet universal identity. Winning the competition in 2010 was a milestone in his life, opening new avenues in design and education. Since then, he has designed logos for institutions like IIT Hyderabad and the National Testing Agency. Now a professor at IIT Guwahati, he mentors students, encouraging innovative thinking in design. His work continues to bridge tradition and modernity, shaping India’s visual and cultural identity.

On July 15, 2010, the Manmohan Singh-led UPA government officially introduced the symbol, marking a significant moment in India’s monetary history.