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).
History
1947–2023 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.
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. 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. 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.
2023 modifications 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.
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. Multiple sources indicated that the seven ranks of the PBOR cadre would be allotted Indian-origin names. In March 2024, R. Hari Kumar suggested that "seaman" be replaced with the gender-neutral "nausainik" (navy soldier).
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. 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 instead of the older sword-cum-baton design and a gold button embossed with a clear anchor instead of a fouled anchor.
In 2025, news came out reporting that the rollout of the new names had stalled.
Structure Presently, the IN's rank hierarchy is divided into four broad categories: Commissioned Officers Junior Commissioned Officers (JCO) Other Ranks (OR) Non-Commissioned Officers (NCO) Enlisted
Commissioned officers Pay level(7CPC)18 (apex)17/16/151413A1312A1110B10Stipend Indian Navy Medical Service No insignia Surgeon Vice admiral Surgeon Rear admiral Surgeon Commodore Surgeon Captain Surgeon Commander Surgeon Lieutenant Commander Surgeon Lieutenant Surgeon Sub lieutenant
Command flags Rank flags Adm VAdm RAdm Cmde (1950–2022) (2022–present)
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). The rank was first awarded to then-Vice Admiral A. K. Chatterji in March 1968, following his appointment to the post of CNS; before him, CNS appointees belonged to the three-star rank of Vice Admiral. 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.
Junior commissioned officer and non-commissioned ranks
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. 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.
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.
Rank descriptions 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. Officer ranks Rank Epaulette Insignia Description Appointments Superannuation Age/Tenure Rank flag Pay level Admiral Four-star rank; professional head of the Indian Armed Forces (when appointed), or commander of the Indian Navy Chief of Defence Staff (CDS)Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS) 65 years (CDS)62 years (CNS) Level 18 Vice Admiral(C-in-C grade)Three star rank; authority of naval commandsFOC-in-C of Eastern, Western and Southern Naval Commands, Vice Chief of Naval Staff, CINCAN, CinC SFC, CISC60 years Level 17 Vice Admiral Three-star rank; operational authority Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff, Chiefs of Personnel, Materiel, Controller of Warship Production&Acquisition, Director General Naval Operations, Commandants of major training institutions60 yearsLevel 15 Rear Admiral Two-star rank; commands a naval area or fleet Flag Officers Commanding Fleets, Flag Officers Commanding Naval Areas, Commandant of training institutions, Superintendent of naval dockyards, Assistant Chiefs of the Naval Staff 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, 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 (Timescale Captain) (58 years for Captain [Education]) (Voluntary retirement after 5 years of service as Selected Captain) 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 () pa
Indian Navy Medical Service + Medical officer ranks Rank Epaulette Insignia Description Appointments Superannuation Age/Tenure Rank flag Pay level Surgeon Vice Admiral (DGAFMS) Senior-most officer of AFMS; tri-service head Director General Armed Forces Medical Services 62 years (fixed tenure) Level 17 (Apex) Surgeon Vice Admiral Principal Medical Officer at Naval HQ or Command HQ Director General Medical Services (Navy), Senior Consultant (Navy) 62 years Level 16 Surgeon Rear Admiral Senior specialist and administrative posts at Command HQ / Hospitals Command Medical Officer, Command Hospital Director 61 years Level 14 Surgeon Commodore Senior consultant and hospital administration CO of large military hospitals, senior advisor 59 years Level 13A Surgeon Captain Specialist with independent responsibilities Senior Advisor, Principal Medical Officer (Fleet/Establishment) 58 years Level 13 Surgeon Commander Mid-level medical specialist or administrator Classified Specialist, Medical Officer-in-Charge 58 years Level 12A Surgeon Lieutenant Commander Junior specialist or general duty medical officer Senior Medical Officer, Station Health Officer 58 years Level 11 Surgeon Lieutenant Entry-level officer, general medical duties Medical Officer at ships/establishments 58 years Level 10B Surgeon Sub Lieutenant Undergoing internship at Naval Hospitals under AFMC MBBS course Medical intern 1 year of internship Level 10
Subordinate officers (SO) Rank Insignia Description Appointments/Specialisations Superannuation Age/Tenure Pay levelNavy 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
Non-commissioned officers (NCO) 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
Enlisted and trainees 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 i.e., Leading Seaman Undergoing training in INS Shivaji or Naval Technical Institutes 2.5 to 3 years Stipend () pa
Specialisation Badges
S.No. Badge Description Role Specialisation allowance(s)1 Torpedo & Anti-Submarine badge Specialist in submarine detection, torpedo operations, and anti-submarine tactics. or per month for officers or per month for sailors2Pilot badge Naval aviator operating fighter jets, helicopters, and maritime reconnaissance aircraft. per month for naval aviators (officers)3Aviation badge Support staff and technicians maintaining naval aircraft systems and operations.