Indian Rupee Symbol Approved

The Indian rupee will soon have a distinctive symbol - a blend of the Devanagri 'Ra' and Roman 'R' - joining elite currencies like the US dollar, euro, British pound and Japanese yen in having a distinct identity. It is a big statement on the Indian currency. The symbol would lend a typical character and identity to the currency and further highlight the strength and global face of the Indian economy. Though the symbol will not be embossed or printed on currency notes or coins, it would be included in the 'Unicode Standard' and major scripts of the world to ensure that it is easily displayed and printed in the electronic and print media. While symbols like Rs and रू are generally used to represent the Indian Rupee, these are no official currency signs and therefore the Government of India has now announced a public contest to pick up a sign that will represent the currency of India.

You may send the symbol on an A-4 size paper in white and black print and that the size of the final currency symbol design should not be smaller than 36 sq inches. The symbol has to be either in the Indian National Language Script or a visual representation but should be applicable to the standard computer keyboard. The Government also wants to make certain that your Indian Rupee design represents the historical and cultural ethos of India. Unicode is an international standard, which allows text data to be interchanged worldwide without conflict. After inclusion in the global and Indian codes, the symbol would be used by all individuals and entities within and outside the country. The symbol will be adopted in a span of six months in the country, and within 18 to 24 months globally. It would better differentiate the Indian currency from those countries whose currencies are also designated as Rupee or Rupiah, such as Pakistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Indonesia.