The Tiranga (Tricolour) was adopted on 22 July 1947, weeks before Indian independence. The 24-spoke Ashoka Chakra at the centre comes from the Lion Capital of Ashoka.
The design
The Flag of India is a national emblem rendered in the colours and proportions defined by the country’s flag law. Its official aspect ratio is 2:3, the height-to-length ratio that fixes how the flag should be cut and flown. The colour scheme uses Saffron, White, Green, with each shade specified to particular Pantone or RGB values for official reproduction.
Colour palette
| Colour | Name | Common symbolism |
|---|---|---|
| Saffron | Saffron | A nationally significant colour for this flag — see the symbolism section below for the country-specific meaning. |
| White | White | Commonly represents peace, purity, honesty or snow-capped landscapes. |
| Green | Green | Tends to evoke land, agriculture, hope, Islam or the natural environment. |
| Source | Official flag law | The country’s own statute or constitutional appendix specifies exact shades and proportions. |
Symbolism & heraldry
Saffron represents courage; white truth and peace; green faith and chivalry. The blue Ashoka Chakra wheel symbolises the eternal motion of life.
Heraldic elements on the Flag of India — bands, charges, emblems or stars — each carry meaning agreed at the moment of the flag’s adoption. Re-readings happen across generations: a colour or a symbol that began with one meaning often picks up further layers as the country’s history unfolds.
Adoption & history
The current flag was adopted in 1947. It is credited to Pingali Venkayya. Earlier banners flown by India reflected the politics of their day; each redesign typically marked a moment of independence, regime change or constitutional reform. The current flag was chosen, debated and codified through the country’s official channels and is now protected by flag law.
Etiquette & protocol
The Flag of India should be flown with respect: never allowed to touch the ground, never used as drapery for ceremonies it was not made for, and lowered or removed at sundown unless illuminated. When flown alongside other national flags, it takes precedence on home soil and is hoisted first and lowered last. On days of national mourning, the flag is flown at half-mast in line with directives from the head of state. These conventions are common to most nations and are usually written into the flag’s founding statute.
Specifications
| Field | Value | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Country | India | — |
| Continent | Asia | — |
| ISO alpha-2 | IN | 2-letter code |
| ISO alpha-3 | IND | 3-letter code |
| Adopted | 1947 | year of current design |
| Proportion | 2:3 | height : length |
| Colours | Saffron, White, Green | — |
| Designer | Pingali Venkayya | — |
| Emoji | 🇮🇳 | Unicode codepoint sequence |
Did you know?
Indian flags must by law be made from khadi — the hand-spun cloth made famous by Mahatma Gandhi.
