Indian Navy ranks and insignia: Difference between revisions

 

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* ”’Other Ranks (OR)”’ – comprising non-commissioned personnel, equivalent to Group ‘C’ non-gazetted staff.

* ”’Other Ranks (OR)”’ – comprising non-commissioned personnel, equivalent to Group ‘C’ non-gazetted staff.

=== Officer ranks ===

=== Officer ranks ===

{| class=”wikitable”

{|class=”wikitable”

|-

|-

! scope=”col” style=”width: 100px;” | Rank

! width=10%|Rank

! width=30%|Epaulette Insignia

! =|Epaulette Insignia

! width=40%|Description

! =|Description

! width=30%|Appointments

! =|Appointments

! width=25%|Superannuation Age/Tenure

! =|Superannuation Age/Tenure

! width=40%|Rank flag

! =|Rank flag

! width=10%|Pay level

! =|Pay level

|-

|-

| [[Admiral (India)|Admiral]]

| [[Admiral (India)|Admiral]]

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| {{NA}}

| {{NA}}

| Stipend ({{INRConvert|673200}}) [https://en.m.wiktionary.org/wiki/per_annum pa]

| Stipend ({{INRConvert|673200}}) [https://en.m.wiktionary.org/wiki/per_annum pa]

⚫ ⚫ ⚫ ⚫ ⚫

! scope=”col” style=”width: 100px;” | Rank

! scope=”col” style=”width: 100px;” | Epaulette Insignia

! scope=”col” style=”width: 300px;” | Description

! scope=”col” style=”width: 300px;” | Appointments

! scope=”col” style=”width: 50px;” | Superannuation Age/Tenure

! scope=”col” style=”width: 100px;” | Rank flag

! scope=”col” style=”width: 50px;” | Pay level

⚫ ⚫ ⚫ ⚫ ⚫ ⚫ ⚫ ⚫ ⚫ ⚫ ⚫ ⚫ ⚫ ⚫ ⚫ ⚫ ⚫ ⚫ ⚫ ⚫ ⚫

|}

|}

===Subordinate officers (SO)===

===Subordinate officers (SO)===

{| class=”wikitable”

{|class=”wikitable”

|-

|-

! scope=”col” style=”width: 150px;” | Rank

! width=5%|Rank

! width=30%|Insignia

! =|Insignia

! width=40%|Description

! =|Description

! width=30%|Appointments / Specialisations

! =| /Specialisations

! width=25%|Superannuation Age/Tenure

! =|Superannuation Age/Tenure

! width=15%|Pay level

! =|Pay level

|-

|-

|[[Navy Master Chief Petty Officer]]/ <br>MCERA I

|[[Navy Master Chief Petty Officer]]/ <br>MCERA I

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=== Non-commissioned officers (NCO) ===

=== Non-commissioned officers (NCO) ===

{| class=”wikitable”

{|class=”wikitable”

|-

|-

! scope=”col” style=”width: 150px;” | Rank

! width=5%|Rank

! scope=”col” style=”width: 150px;” | Insignia

! width=30%|Insignia (Arm)

! width=40%|Description

! =|Description

! scope=”col” style=”width: 300px;” | Appointments/Specialisations

! width=30%|Typical Roles / Branches

! width=25%|Superannuation Age/Tenure

! =|Superannuation Age/Tenure

! scope=”col” style=”width: 50px;” | Pay level

! width=15%|Pay Level

|-

|-

| Petty Officer/ <br> ERA IV

| Petty Officer/ <br> ERA IV

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=== Enlisted and trainees===

=== Enlisted and trainees===

{| class=”wikitable”

{|class=”wikitable”

|-

|-

! scope=”col” style=”width: 150px;” | Rank

! width=5%|Rank

! width=30%|Insignia

! =|Insignia

! width=40%|Description

! =|Description

! scope=”col” style=”width: 300px;” | Appointments/Specialisations

! width=30%|Typical Roles / Branches

! width=25%|Superannuation Age/Tenure

! =|Superannuation Age/Tenure

! scope=”col” style=”width: 50px;” | Pay level

! width=15%|Pay Level

|-

|-

| Seaman I

| Seaman I

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| 2.5 to 3 years

| 2.5 to 3 years

| Stipend ({{INRConvert|175200}}) [https://en.m.wiktionary.org/wiki/per_annum pa]

| Stipend ({{INRConvert|175200}}) [https://en.m.wiktionary.org/wiki/per_annum pa]

⚫ ⚫ ⚫ ⚫ ⚫ ⚫

! Rank !! Insignia !! Description !! Typical Appointments !! Superannuation Age / Tenure !! Rank flag !! Pay Level

⚫ ⚫ ⚫ ⚫ ⚫ ⚫ ⚫ ⚫ ⚫ ⚫ ⚫ ⚫ ⚫ ⚫ ⚫ ⚫ ⚫ ⚫ ⚫ ⚫

|-

|-

|}

|}

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== Specialisation Badges ==

== Specialisation Badges ==

{{unreferenced section|date=September 2025}}

{{unreferenced section|date=September 2025}}

{| class=”wikitable”

{|class=”wikitable”

|-

|-

! width=5%| S.No

! =| S.No

! scope=”col” style=”width: 100px;” | Badge

! width=30%|Badge

! scope=”col” style=”width: 300px;” | Description

! width=20%|Description

! scope=”col” style=”width: 300px;” | Role

! width=20%|Role

! width=40%|Specialisation allowance(s)

! =|Specialisation allowance(s)

|-

|-

|1

|1

The Indian Navy (IN), the naval component of the Indian Armed Forces follows a certain hierarchy of rank designations and insignia derived from the erstwhile Royal Indian Navy (RIN).^[1]

Upon the establishment of establishment of India’s independence in 1947, the country became a dominion within the British Commonwealth of Nations; nevertheless, the armed forces, namely, the British Indian Army (BIA), the Royal Indian Navy (RIN) and the Royal Indian Air Force (RIAF) – under the helm of King George VI as the Commander-in-Chief, retained their respective pre-independence ranks and corresponding insignia.^[2]

In May 1949, Lord Mountbatten, the inaugural Governor-General of India and himself a naval officer, dispatched a note to Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, titled Names and Insignia of Indian Armed Forces, containing a list of suggestions regarding the nomenclature of the armed forces that were to be enforced upon the dominion’s conversion to a republic.^[2] In the note, Mountbatten proposed that the future IN should retain its predecessor’s nomenclature as much as possible – advocating the retention of the RIN’s ranks, insignia and uniforms; the only exemption to these retentions was the force’s naval ensign, which was modified to feature the Indian tricolor as a substitute for the Union Jack.^[2] In September 1949, Nehru forwarded the proposals to the country’s minister of defence, Baldev Singh, recommending Mountbatten’s suggestions, which were consequently enforced upon India’s emergence as a republic on 26 January 1950.^[2]

In December 2022, Admiral R. Hari Kumar, the IN’s Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS), proposed several alterations to the force’s rank structure, namely, a proposal to drop the rank of Petty Officer and to integrate IN ranks with that of the IA and the IAF, reasoning the present rank nomenclature reflected of what was termed by several as a colonial mindset.^[3]

Following a review of the IN rank structure in October 2023, the IN announced that the rank nomenclature of the Personnel Below Officer Rank (PBOR) cadre would be revised to reflect a gender-neutral perspective.^[4] Multiple sources indicated that the seven ranks of the PBOR cadre would be allotted Indian-origin names.^[5] In March 2024, R. Hari Kumar suggested that “seaman” be replaced with the gender-neutral “nausainik” (navy soldier).^[6][7]

Consequently, the revision plan was publicized during the IN’s 2023 Navy Day celebrations, when prime minister Narendra Modi announced that the rank structure’s designations would be retitled with domestic names to reflect Indian-origin traditions, while the shoulder board epaulettes worn by flag officers would be altered to bear the octagonal-shaped naval crest, which had been adopted by the IN the previous year.^[5] Accordingly, the alterations to the flag officer insignia were revealed later that month; notably, other observable emendations in the new insignia included the introduction of an Indian sword-cum-telescope design in lieu of the older sword-cum-baton design and a gold button embossed with a clear anchor in lieu of a fouled anchor.^[8]

In 2025 news came out reporting that the rollout of the new names had stalled.^[9]

Presently, the IN’s rank hierarchy is divided into four broad categories:

The highest rank in the IN’s CO cadre is Admiral, a four-star rank, which is held exclusively by the Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS).^[12] The rank was first awarded to then-Vice Admiral A. K. Chatterji in March 1968, following his appointment to the post of CNS; prior to him, CNS appointees belonged to the three-star rank of Vice Admiral.^[13] However, unlike the IA and the IAF, which both bear the honorary five-star ranks of Field Marshal (FM) and Marshal of the Indian Air Force (MIAF) respectively, the IN does not have a correspondingly recognized equivalent, as no four-star admirals were deemed for promotion to five-star rank.^[14]

Junior Commissioned Officers (JCOs) in the Indian Navy are senior sailors promoted from the ranks of Non-Commissioned Officers (NCOs), based on merit, seniority, and vacancy availability.^{[citation needed]} They hold a status broadly equivalent to Warrant Officers in the Royal Navy. Positioned between Commissioned Officers and NCOs, MCPO I and MCPO II are highly respected for their experience—typically over 20 years of service—and are often addressed as MaSabs across all ranks.^{[citation needed]}

From 1950 to December 1968, the designation of Chief Petty Officer was the highest non-commissioned rank in IN’s rank hierarchy. In December 1968, the designations of Master Chief Petty Officer I and Master Chief Petty Officer II were introduced.^[16]

Indian Navy ranks are classified into three categories:

• Commissioned Officers – equivalent to All India Services and Group ‘A’ Gazetted officers.
• Junior Commissioned Officers (JCO) – equivalent to Group ‘B’ Gazetted officers.
• Other Ranks (OR) – comprising non-commissioned personnel, equivalent to Group ‘C’ non-gazetted staff.

Rank	Epaulette Insignia	Description	Appointments	Superannuation Age/Tenure	Rank flag	Pay level
Admiral		Four-star rank; professional head of the Indian Navy	Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS)	62 years		Level 18
Vice Admiral (C-in-C grade)		Three star rank; authority of naval commands	FOC-in-C of Eastern, Western and Southern Naval Command, Vice Chief of Naval Staff (VCNS), Commander-in-chief of strategic forces command (tri-service nuclear command)	60 years		Level 17
Vice Admiral		Three-star rank; operational authority	Chiefs of Personnel, Material, Engineers etc.; Controller of warship production & acquisition, Director General of Naval Operations, Commandant of various national tri-service defence colleges, Senior Naval advisor/attaché, Assistant CNS (Air)	60 years		Level 15
Rear Admiral		Two-star rank; commands a naval area or fleet	Flag Officer Commanding (FOC-in-C), Commandant of major training institutions, Director General of Naval Projects, Admiral Superintedent (Dockyard), Flag Officer (Naval Air Arm)	58 years		Level 14
Commodore		One-star rank, senior-most sea command	Fleet CO, Naval Attaché, Senior Staff in Naval HQ, CO Naval air base, Commodore Superintedent (Dockyard), Principal Director at Naval HQ	56 years (58 years for Commodore [Education])		Level 13A
Captain		Commands large warships, naval air squadrons or shore establishments	Commanding Officer, Director/Joint Director in Naval HQ, Principal Engineer/Technical officer, Senior staff officer	56 years (58 years for Captain [Education])	—	Level 13
Commander		Senior officer rank, often second-in-command of warships, Commanding Officer of small ships or naval air squadrons	Executive Officer, Senior Engineer, Staff Officer, Senior Technical officer	54 years	—	Level 12A
Lieutenant Commander		Mid-ranking officer responsible for departments on board	Departmental Head, Senior Divisional Officer, Assistant Engineer, Technical officer	52 years	—	Level 11
Lieutenant		Junior officer rank; takes on division and technical duties	Junior executive Officer, OOD, Divisional Officer, Pilot, Assistant technical officer, ATC officer	52 years	—	Level 10B
Sub-Lieutenant		First commissioned rank in the Indian Navy	Pilot, Watchkeeping Officer, Divisional Officer, Junior technical Officer, Observer, ATC officer	52 years	—	Level 10
Midshipman		Trainee officer undergoing Naval Orientation Course	Under training at Indian Naval Academy, Air Force Academy (Pilots)	1.5 to 4.5 years of training	—	Stipend (₹673,200 (US$8,000)) pa

Rank	Insignia	Description	Appointments/Specialisations	Superannuation Age/Tenure	Pay level
Navy Master Chief Petty Officer/ MCERA I	& aiguillettes presented by the CNS	Honorary appointment, highest achievable enlisted rank in the Indian Navy	Principal advisor to CNS on sailor affairs; ceremonial & consultative role & In charge of Engine Room and propulsion systems	57 years (extendable)	Level 9
Master Chief Petty Officer Class I/ MCERA I		Senior JCO-equivalent; assists ship COs in administration and discipline	Base Master-at-Arms, Fleet-level Chief ERA	57 years	Level 8
Master Chief Petty Officer Class II/ MCERA II		Mid level JCO-equivalent; supervises divisions, handles men and machines	Chief ERA, Department 2IC in base/ship	57 years	Level 7
Chief Petty Officer/ ERA III		Junior JCO-equivalent; trained in marine engineering duties	Section-in-charge, Technical supervisor, ERA (Chief Artificer)	52 years	Level 6

Rank	Insignia	Description	Appointments/Specialisations	Superannuation Age/Tenure	Pay level
Petty Officer/ ERA IV		Senior NCO; supervises divisions or equipment sections	Petty Artificer, section-in-charge, instructor roles	52 years	Level 5
Leading Seaman/ ERA V		First NCO rank; commands a small team or assists Petty Officers	L/ERA, radar ops, communications, weapons handling	52 years	Level 4

Rank	Insignia	Description	Appointments/Specialisations	Superannuation Age/Tenure	Pay level
Seaman I	No insignia	Promoted sailor after completing initial training & assessments	Operational duties: navigation, gunnery, ER assistant	52 years	Level 3
Seaman II	No insignia	Freshly inducted sailor post-basic training; under probation	General duties, sentry, deck jobs, mess duty	52 years	Level 3
Artificer Apprentice		Technical trade recruits undergoing training to become ERAs ie, Leading Seaman	Undergoing training in INS Shivaji or Naval Technical Institutes	2.5 to 3 years	Stipend (₹175,200 (US$2,100)) pa

S.No.	Badge	Description	Role	Specialisation allowance(s)
1		Torpedo & Anti-Submarine badge	Specialist in submarine detection, torpedo operations, and anti-submarine tactics.	₹10,500 (US$120) or ₹15,750 (US$190) per month for officers ₹5,300 (US$63) or ₹10,500 (US$120) per month for sailors
2		Pilot badge	Naval aviator operating fighter jets, helicopters, and maritime reconnaissance aircraft.	₹25,000 (US$300) per month for naval aviators (officers)
3		Aviation badge	Support staff and technicians maintaining naval aircraft systems and operations.	₹3,600 (US$43) per month for artificers
4		Flight engineer badge	In-flight technical expert responsible for engine, fuel, and system monitoring during operations.	₹10,500 (US$120) per month for naval flight engineers
5		SAR Aircrewman badge	Search and Rescue (SAR) specialist performing recovery operations at sea.	₹10,500 (US$120) per month for naval officers (Aircrewmen) ₹5,300 (US$63) per month for naval sailors (Aircrewmen)
6		Naval aviation specialization badge	Aviation support specialist engaged in technical operations and navigation support.	₹10,500 (US$120) per month for officers
7		Naval Parachutist’s badge	Specialist trained in combat parachuting for airborne naval operations.	₹10,500 (US$120) per month for officers ₹5,300 (US$63) per month for sailors
8		Combat Diver badge (officers and MCPOs)	Underwater operations, sabotage, reconnaissance, and mine clearance.	₹10,500 (US$120) per month for officers
9		Combat Diver badge (sailors)	Tactical diver specializing in demolitions and underwater combat.	₹5,300 (US$63) per month for sailors
10		Gunner badge	Naval artillery operator responsible for deck guns and close-range weapons.	₹1,600 (US$19) per month for sailors (Y)
11		Communication badge	Radio, cryptography, and secure naval communications expert.	₹3,600 (US$43) per month for sailors (X) ₹1,600 (US$19) per month for sailors (Y)
12		Survey Recorder badge	Specialist in hydrographic surveys, navigation chart preparation, and mapping.	₹3,600 (US$43) per month for sailors (X) ₹1,600 (US$19) per month for sailors (Y)
13		Shooting badge	Marksmanship and small arms expert maintaining shooting proficiency.	₹1,600 (US$19) per month for sailors (Y)
14		Radar Plotter badge	Radar operator for navigation, surveillance, and tracking hostile vessels.	₹3,600 (US$43) per month for sailors (X) ₹1,600 (US$19) per month for sailors (Y)
15		Engine Room badge	Specialist in propulsion systems, machinery maintenance, and engine control.	₹3,600 (US$43) per month for artificers, in addition to artificer allowance
16		Physical Trainer badge	Physical fitness trainer maintaining operational readiness of naval personnel.	₹3,600 (US$43) per month for officers ₹2,700 (US$32) per month for sailors
17		Medical officer badge	Naval doctor or a Flight surgeon providing healthcare and emergency response aboard ships, submarines or aircraft.	20% of basic pay for officers as Non-practising Allowance (NPA) ₹11,220 (US$130) to ₹40,000 (US$470) per month for medical officers
18		Submariner’s badge (officers and MCPOs)	Officer trained for submarine operations, stealth missions, and deep-sea warfare.	₹15,750 (US$190) per month for officers
19		Submariner’s badge (CPOs and junior enlisted)	Enlisted crew managing submarine maintenance, weapons, and operational support.	₹10,500 (US$120) per month for sailors
20		MARCOS badge (special forces)	Elite commando involved in counter-terrorism, direct action, and special operations.	₹25,000 (US$300) per month
21		Surface warfare officers badge	Officers trained for surface ship combat operations and fleet tactics.	₹10,500 (US$120) per month for officers
22		Surface warfare enlisted badge	Sailors trained for surface ship combat operations, maintenance and logistics.	₹5,300 (US$63) per month for sailors
23		Naval Police badge	Law enforcement aboard ships and naval bases; discipline and security specialist.	₹1,600 (US$19) per month for sailors (Y)
24		Naval Observer (Navigator) badge	Officers trained for airborne surveillance, reconnaissance, navigation, maritime patrol and anti-submarine warfare (air).	₹10,500 (US$120) per month for qualified naval navigators