We use it almost every day, whether while reading a restaurant menu, checking a price tag, or looking at our bank balance. The Indian Rupee symbol is so deeply embedded in our daily lives that most of us hardly stop to wonder, where did this symbol come from? Who designed it? What does it mean? Behind this simple, elegant symbol lies a story of creativity, heritage, and people who poured not just skill but their souls into giving India its own currency identity. Two names in this journey stand out: Nondita Correa Mehrotra, whose thoughtful contribution was among the final five shortlisted, and D. Udaya Kumar, whose design was ultimately chosen as the official symbol of the Indian rupee.

A Nationwide Search for a National Identity

In March 2009, the Government of India launched a public competition to create a unique symbol for the Indian rupee. Until then, India used "Rs" or "Re" to represent its currency, just like many other countries. But as India’s economy grew, so did the need for a visual identity that stood tall beside global giants like the dollar, euro, yen, and pound. Over 3,000 entries flooded in from across the country from designers, artists, students, and professionals, all hoping to give a face to India’s financial future. Only five were shortlisted from thousands of entries.

Nondita Correa Mehrotra: A Voice Among Visionaries

Not many know her name, but Nondita Correa Mehrotra made history by making it to the top five finalists in this national search. An architect by training, Nondita is known for her sensitive, culturally rooted work that bridges tradition and modernity. She had the same rupee symbol idea five years ago, before the competition was announced. She asked a simple question: why doesn't India have a recognizable icon for its own currency? So she sketched a symbol of her own. A Devanagari raa crossed with two short horizontal lines near the top, and she sent it to the Reserve Bank of India and the Prime Minister's Office. 

Unfortunately, she never received a reply, but five years later, when the government announced the competition, it was nearly impossible to ignore that all the shortlisted ideas that were submitted were variations of Nodita's ideas. She had also resubmitted the design and made it to the top five spots in the competition. Her submission was a reflection of that very ethos, balancing India’s deep heritage with its global ambitions. While her design was not ultimately selected, her presence in the final round was significant. It marked a moment where women creators stepped forward in shaping India's national identity, a space too often reserved for others. She proved that design is not only about lines and curves, but also about ideas, integrity, and inclusion. 

The Man Behind the Symbol: D. Udaya Kumar

Ultimately, it was D. Udaya Kumar, a young designer and academic, whose vision captured the nation’s imagination. At the time of the contest, he was a newly appointed faculty member at IIT Guwahati, where he now heads the Department of Design. 

His winning design: A graceful fusion of the Devanagari (Ra) and the Latin capital letter “R,” two scripts that tell the story of India’s cultural depth and global outlook. 

But Kumar didn’t stop at aesthetics. His symbol carried layers of meaning. The two parallel lines at the top represent the Indian tricolor saffron, white, and green, where the white is depicted through the negative space. These lines also form an equals to (=) sign, symbolizing economic equality and India’s constitutional values. 

The overall form maintains a balanced, modern look that aligns effortlessly with other global currency symbols. In 2010 it was adopted by the government of India.

Today, the ₹ stands tall alongside $, €, and £ on the global stage.

₹ was added to Unicode in 2010 making it usable globally across all digital platforms.

A Symbol That Speaks Beyond Economy

It’s about a country choosing to represent itself with elegance and purpose. It’s about a young academic like Udaya Kumar, who drew from his heritage, intellect, and pride to create something timeless. Today, the rupee symbol is more than a character on a keyboard. It stands on banknotes, billboards, advertisements, and apps. It is a bridge between the past and the present, between classical Indian scripts and global communication. 

In the end, the story of the Indian rupee symbol is not just about who won or lost a design contest. It's about how a nation chose to represent itself, how creatives from diverse backgrounds came together, and how symbols can carry the weight of heritage, hope, and harmony.