This is a list of flags used in India

India

India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

. For more information about the national flag

National flag

A national flag is a flag that symbolizes a country. The flag is flown by the government, but usually can also be flown by citizens of the country.Both public and private buildings such as schools and courthouses may fly the national flag...

, visit the article Flag of India

Flag of India

The National flag of India is a horizontal rectangular tricolour of deep saffron, white and India green; with the Ashok Chakra, a 24-spoke wheel, in navy blue at its centre. It was adopted in its present form during a meeting of the Constituent Assembly held on 22 July 1947, when it became the...

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National flag

Flag	|Use	National flag of India Flag of India The National flag of India is a horizontal rectangular tricolour of deep saffron, white and India green; with the Ashok Chakra, a 24-spoke wheel, in navy blue at its centre. It was adopted in its present form during a meeting of the Constituent Assembly held on 22 July 1947, when it became the...	A horizontal tricolour Tricolour A tricolour is a flag or banner more-or-less equally divided into three bands of differing colours...  of saffron at the top, white in the middle, and green at the bottom. In the centre is a navy blue wheel with twenty-four spokes, known as the Ashoka Chakra Ashoka Chakra The Ashoka Chakra is depiction of the Buddhist Dharmachakra, represented with 24 spokes. It is so called because it appears on a number of edicts of Ashoka, most prominent among which is the Lion Capital of Sarnath which has been adopted as the National Emblem of the Republic of India.The most...

Presidential flag

Flag	|Use	President of India President of India The President of India is the head of state and first citizen of India, as well as the Supreme Commander of the Indian Armed Forces. President of India is also the formal head of all the three branches of Indian Democracy - Legislature, Executive and Judiciary...	1st quarter: state emblem (the lions of Sarnath) to represent national unity; 2nd quarter: elephant from Ajanta Caves to represent patience Patience Patience is the state of endurance under difficult circumstances, which can mean persevering in the face of delay or provocation without acting on annoyance/anger in a negative way; or exhibiting forbearance when under strain, especially when faced with longer-term difficulties. Patience is the...  and strength Strength - Physical ability :*Physical strength, as in people or animals*Superhuman strength, as in fictional characters*A common character attribute in role-playing gamesConflict between persons or groups:*Virtue and moral uprightness... ; 3rd quarter: scales Weighing scale A weighing scale is a measuring instrument for determining the weight or mass of an object. A spring scale measures weight by the distance a spring deflects under its load...  from the Red Fort, Old Delhi Old Delhi Old Delhi , walled city of Delhi, India, was founded as Shahjahanabad by Mughal Emperor Shahjahan in 1639. It remained the capital of the Mughals until the end of the Mughal dynasty....  to represent justice Justice Justice is a concept of moral rightness based on ethics, rationality, law, natural law, religion, or equity, along with the punishment of the breach of said ethics; justice is the act of being just and/or fair.-Concept of justice:... ; 4th quarter: lotus vase from Sarnath Sarnath Sarnath or Sārnātha is the deer park where Gautama Buddha first taught the Dharma, and where the Buddhist Sangha came into existence through the enlightenment of Kondanna. Sarnath is located 13 kilometres north-east of Varanasi, in Uttar Pradesh, India...  to represent prosperity The flag is similar to the Royal Standard of the United Kingdom.

Ensigns

Flag	|Use	Civil ensign Civil ensign The civil ensign is the national flag flown by civil ships to denote nationality...	A Red Ensign Red Ensign The Red Ensign or "Red Duster" is a flag that originated in the early 17th century as a British ensign flown by the Royal Navy and later specifically by British merchantmen. The precise date of its first appearance is not known, but surviving receipts indicate that the Navy was paying to have such...  with the flag of India in the canton
		State ensign Ensign An ensign is a national flag when used at sea, in vexillology, or a distinguishing token, emblem, or badge, such as a symbol of office in heraldry...	A Blue Ensign Blue Ensign The Blue Ensign is a flag, one of several British ensigns, used by certain organisations or territories associated with the United Kingdom. It is used either plain, or defaced with a badge or other emblem....  with the flag of India in the canton, and a yellow anchor horizontally in the fly

Military flags

Flag	|Use	Indian Army Indian Army The Indian Army is the land based branch and the largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. With about 1,100,000 soldiers in active service and about 1,150,000 reserve troops, the Indian Army is the world's largest standing volunteer army...	A red field with the flag of India in the canton, and the Army badge in the fly
		Flag of the Indian Navy Indian Navy The Indian Navy is the naval branch of the armed forces of India. The President of India serves as the Commander-in-Chief of the Navy. The Chief of Naval Staff , usually a four-star officer in the rank of Admiral, commands the Navy...	A British White Ensign White Ensign The White Ensign or St George's Ensign is an ensign flown on British Royal Navy ships and shore establishments. It consists of a red St George's Cross on a white field with the Union Flag in the upper canton....  with the flag of India in the canton
		Flag of the Indian Air Force Indian Air Force The Indian Air Force is the air arm of the Indian armed forces. Its primary responsibility is to secure Indian airspace and to conduct aerial warfare during a conflict...	A sky-blue ensign Royal Air Force Ensign The Royal Air Force Ensign is the official flag which is used to represent the Royal Air Force. The Ensign has a field of air force blue with the Union Flag in the canton and the Royal Air Force roundel in the middle of the fly....  with the flag of India in the canton, and the Air Force roundel Roundel A roundel in heraldry is a disc; the term is also commonly used to refer to a type of national insignia used on military aircraft, generally circular in shape and usually comprising concentric rings of different colours.-Heraldry:...  in the fly
		Flag of the Indian Coast Guard Indian Coast Guard The Indian Coast Guard is a branch of the Indian Armed Forces. Its mission is the protection of India's maritime interests and maritime law enforcement with jurisdiction over both territorial and international waters....	A Blue Ensign Blue Ensign The Blue Ensign is a flag, one of several British ensigns, used by certain organisations or territories associated with the United Kingdom. It is used either plain, or defaced with a badge or other emblem....  with the flag of India in the canton, and the Coast Guard badge in the fly

Naval flags

Flag	|Use
Flag	|Use	Jammu and Kashmir Jammu and Kashmir Jammu and Kashmir is the northernmost state of India. It is situated mostly in the Himalayan mountains. Jammu and Kashmir shares a border with the states of Himachal Pradesh and Punjab to the south and internationally with the People's Republic of China to the north and east and the...	1972–present	Flag Flag of Jammu and Kashmir The state flag of Jammu and Kashmir a state of India consists of a deep red field, representing labour, charged with a plough to represent agriculture. Three stripes are found on the hoist side and represent the three geographic regions of the state, Jammu, the Kashmir Valley and Ladakh.Jammu and...  of the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir Jammu and Kashmir Jammu and Kashmir is the northernmost state of India. It is situated mostly in the Himalayan mountains. Jammu and Kashmir shares a border with the states of Himachal Pradesh and Punjab to the south and internationally with the People's Republic of China to the north and east and the...	The flag is red to symbolize labour, with three white vertical stripes in the hoist (which do not run the whole height of the flag). The stripes stand for the three divisions of the region namely; (Jammu Jammu Jammu , also known as Duggar, is one of the three administrative divisions within Jammu and Kashmir, the northernmost state in India.Jammu city is the largest city in Jammu and the winter capital of Jammu and Kashmir... , Kashmir Kashmir Kashmir is the northwestern region of the Indian subcontinent. Until the mid-19th century, the term Kashmir geographically denoted only the valley between the Great Himalayas and the Pir Panjal mountain range... , and Ladakh Ladakh Ladakh is a region of Jammu and Kashmir, the northernmost state of the Republic of India. It lies between the Kunlun mountain range in the north and the main Great Himalayas to the south, inhabited by people of Indo-Aryan and Tibetan descent... ). On the right side of the flag is a white plough with the handle facing the stripes. The ratio of the flag to its width is 3:2.

De facto state flags

Flag	|Use	Karnataka Karnataka Karnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...	1965–present	Kannada flag Kannada flag The Kannada/Karnataka flag is a bicoloured flag. The flag is divided into two horizontal strips of equal length and breadth with yellow strip on the top and red strip at the bottom. The Yellow and Red signify Peace and Courage respectively.... , used as a de facto state flag in Karnataka	Two horizontal strips of equal length and breadth with yellow strip on the top and red strip at the bottom.

The flag is not officially or unofficially the Karanataka Flag. It is actually the flag of a political party "Kannada Paksha" which was formed in 1965 by Mr Ma. Ramamurthy. Though the party did not last long, the flag stayed on, and is now in the sentiments of the people as the flag which represents Karnataka. Now people use this flag for the Kannada Rajotsava and any protests or kannada-oriented celebrations.

The significance of the yellow and red colours in the flag - they stand for Arshina (Tumeric) and Kumkuma (Vermilion

Vermilion

Vermilion is an opaque orangish red pigment, similar to scarlet. As a naturally occurring mineral pigment, it is known as cinnabar, and was in use around the world before the Common Era began. Most naturally produced vermilion comes from cinnabar mined in China, and vermilion is nowadays commonly...

) respectively. The Yellow and Red colours signify Peace and Courage respectively.

Pre-colonial states

Flag	|Use	Flag Flag of the Mughal Empire The Mughal Empire had a number of imperial flags and standards. The principal imperial standard of the Mughals was known as the alam. It was primarily moss green, though at times it was also scarlet. It displayed a rising sun partially eclipsed by a couching lion facing the hoist of the flag...  of the Mughal Empire Mughal Empire The Mughal Empire ,‎ or Mogul Empire in traditional English usage, was an imperial power from the Indian Subcontinent. The Mughal emperors were descendants of the Timurids...	A dark moss-green flag with a rising sun, partially eclipsed by a couching lion
	1674–1818	Flag of the Maratha Empire Maratha Empire The Maratha Empire or the Maratha Confederacy was an Indian imperial power that existed from 1674 to 1818. At its peak, the empire covered much of South Asia, encompassing a territory of over 2.8 million km²....	A saffron-coloured swallowtail Swallowtail (flag) In flag terminology, a swallowtail is either# a V-shaped cut in a flag that causes the flag to end in two points at the fly; or# any flag which has this V-shaped cut....  flag

British India

Flag	|Use	state flag State flag There are two separate meanings for the term state flag in vexillology – the flag of the government of a sovereign state, and the flag of an individual subnational state.-Government flag:...  of the Indian Empire for use on land	The flag of the United Kingdom United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
		Flag of the Governor-General of India Governor-General of India The Governor-General of India was the head of the British administration in India, and later, after Indian independence, the representative of the monarch and de facto head of state. The office was created in 1773, with the title of Governor-General of the Presidency of Fort William...	The Union Flag Union Flag The Union Flag, also known as the Union Jack, is the flag of the United Kingdom. It retains an official or semi-official status in some Commonwealth Realms; for example, it is known as the Royal Union Flag in Canada. It is also used as an official flag in some of the smaller British overseas...  defaced with the insignia of the Order of the Star of India Order of the Star of India The Most Exalted Order of the Star of India is an order of chivalry founded by Queen Victoria in 1861. The Order includes members of three classes:# Knight Grand Commander # Knight Commander # Companion...  beneath the Imperial Crown of India Imperial Crown of India The Imperial Crown of India was the crown of the Sovereign as Emperor of India during the time of the British Raj. The crown is housed with, but is not part of, the Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom.-History:...
		An unofficial, or semi-official land flag used to represent British India in international events and associations	A Red Ensign Red Ensign The Red Ensign or "Red Duster" is a flag that originated in the early 17th century as a British ensign flown by the Royal Navy and later specifically by British merchantmen. The precise date of its first appearance is not known, but surviving receipts indicate that the Navy was paying to have such...  with the Union Flag at the canton, and the Star of India Star of India (flag) The Star of India can refer to a group of flags used during the period of British rule in India. British India had a range of flags for different purposes during its existence. The flags included the Union Flag with the insignia of the Order of the Star of India superimposed, or the Red or Blue...  displayed in the fly
	1863–1947	1879–1928 ensign of Her Majesty's Indian Marine / Royal Indian Marine 1928–1947 naval jack of the Royal Indian Marine / Royal Indian Navy Royal Indian Navy The Royal Indian Navy was the naval force of British India. Along with the Presidency armies and the later British Indian Army it comprised the Armed Forces of British India....	A Blue Ensign Blue Ensign The Blue Ensign is a flag, one of several British ensigns, used by certain organisations or territories associated with the United Kingdom. It is used either plain, or defaced with a badge or other emblem....  with the Union Flag at the canton, and the Star of India displayed in the fly
	1928–1947	Ensign of the Royal Indian Marine / Royal Indian Navy	The White Ensign White Ensign The White Ensign or St George's Ensign is an ensign flown on British Royal Navy ships and shore establishments. It consists of a red St George's Cross on a white field with the Union Flag in the upper canton....  of the Royal Navy Royal Navy The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...

Flags used by the Indian independence movement

Flag	|Use	Devanagari Devanagari Devanagari |deva]]" and "nāgarī" ), also called Nagari , is an abugida alphabet of India and Nepal... .
	1907	An early Indian nationalist flag
	1907	An early Indian nationalist flag
	1917	Flag of the Home Rule Movement	Five red and four green horizontal stripes On the upper left quadrant was the Union Jack, which signified the Dominion Dominion A dominion, often Dominion, refers to one of a group of autonomous polities that were nominally under British sovereignty, constituting the British Empire and British Commonwealth, beginning in the latter part of the 19th century. They have included Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Newfoundland,...  status that the movement sought to achieve. A crescent and a star, both in white, are set in top fly. Seven white stars are arranged as in the Saptarishi constellation (the constellation Ursa Major Ursa Major Ursa Major , also known as the Great Bear, is a constellation visible throughout the year in most of the northern hemisphere. It can best be seen in April... ), which is sacred to Hindu Hindu Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion... s.
	1921	Gandhi's flag, introduced at the Indian National Congress Indian National Congress The Indian National Congress is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Bharatiya Janata Party. It is the largest and one of the oldest democratic political parties in the world. The party's modern liberal platform is largely considered center-left in the Indian...  meeting in 1921
	1923–1947	The Swaraj Swaraj Swaraj can mean generally self-governance or "self-rule", and was used synonymously with "home-rule" by Gandhi but the word usually refers to Gandhi's concept for Indian independence from foreign domination. Swaraj lays stress on governance not by a hierarchical government, but self governance...  Flag, officially adopted by the Congress in 1931
	1942–1945	Flag of Provisional Government of Free India Provisional Government of Free India Arzi Hukumat-e-Azad Hind , simply Free India or Azad Hind, was an Indian provisional government established in Singapore in 1943....	Three horizontal strips of saffron, white, and green, with a springing tiger Tiger The tiger is the largest cat species, reaching a total body length of up to and weighing up to . Their most recognizable feature is a pattern of dark vertical stripes on reddish-orange fur with lighter underparts...  in the center Although this symbolized the armed resistance of the Azad Hind Movement lead by Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose (as opposed to Gandhian pacifism Pacifism Pacifism is the opposition to war and violence. The term "pacifism" was coined by the French peace campaignerÉmile Arnaud and adopted by other peace activists at the tenth Universal Peace Congress inGlasgow in 1901.- Definition :... ), the 1931 flag of the Indian National Congress was used when the Indian National Army Indian National Army The Indian National Army or Azad Hind Fauj was an armed force formed by Indian nationalists in 1942 in Southeast Asia during World War II. The aim of the army was to overthrow the British Raj in colonial India, with Japanese assistance...  hoisted its flag in Moirang Moirang Moirang is a city and a municipal council in Bishnupur district in the Indian state of Manipur.Moirang is a town situated in the north east of India, 45 km from Imphal, Manipur. The Moirang C.D. Block came into existence on 4 April 1985 with its headquarters at Moirang Khunou about 1.5 km... , Manipur Manipur Manipur is a state in northeastern India, with the city of Imphal as its capital. Manipur is bounded by the Indian states of Nagaland to the north, Mizoram to the south and Assam to the west; it also borders Burma to the east. It covers an area of... . Both flags were used interchangeably.