Rupee symbol designer reacts after Tamil Nadu changes logo
What's the story
D. Udaya Kumar, designer of the Indian rupee symbol, chose not to engage deeply with the controversy over a new logo by the Tamil Nadu government for its state budget. The ruling party replaced the Devanagari rupee symbol with the Tamil letter for the same in its 2025-26 budget logo, triggering criticism from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Kumar said he has no reaction to this change and it is entirely up to the state government.
Background
Kumar's family ties and design journey
Kumar, a professor at IIT Guwahati, is the son of N. Dharmalingam, a former DMK MLA. But he insists it's just a coincidence that his father was a DMK MLA and that has nothing to do with the way he works as a designer. He said he had no role in the government's decision to change the logo to suit their own script.
Logo details
The new logo and its significance
The new budget logo of the Tamil Nadu government has 'ru,' the first letter of 'Rubaai,' meaning Indian currency in Tamil. It also has the words "everything for all," a reflection of what DMK says is its inclusive model of governance. DMK leader Saravanan Annadurai, speaking to News18 about the change said the party has made the change to prioritize Tamil.
Design philosophy
Kumar's perspective on criticism and design
Speaking to NDTV, Kumar, who designed the Indian rupee symbol through a government competition in 2009, said as a designer, one has to be ready for such things and take them positively. "Not all our designs are successful or appreciated... As a designer, you always take them positively, learn from them, and move on," he said. His goal was to fulfill the design brief given to him, simply enough for mass use, he said.
Achievements
Kumar's educational background and national recognition
Kumar has a master's degree in Design from IIT Bombay and completed his PhD at IIT Bombay's Industrial Design Center. He came into the limelight when his design was picked as the winner of a national contest to design a symbol for the rupee which was accepted nationally in 2010 during Manmohan Singh's regime. Kumar combined Devanagari 'Ra' for rupiah and the Roman 'R' to come up with the symbol in 2009.