Rupee symbol row: Designer, Udaya Kumar, is from Tamil Nadu and son of former DMK MLA

The Tamil Nadu government’s recent decision to replace the Indian rupee symbol (₹) with the Tamil script-based ‘ru’ (ரூ) in budget logo has sparked a new debate amid the language one already ongoing.

More than anything, the unusual move by Tamil Nadu CM M K Stalin brings to light an ironic oversight—the rupee symbol, as we know it today, was designed by a Tamilian himself.

Who is the designer of India's rupee symbol?

D. Udaya Kumar, an academic and designer from Tamil Nadu, was the man behind the distinctive rupee symbol, which was officially adopted by the Indian government on July 15, 2010. Notably, he is the son of a former DMK member of the legislative assembly from Rishivandiyam constituency, N Dharmalingam.


Also Read: Rupee symbol row: Tamil Nadu govt replaces ₹ with Tamil letter in Budget amid language debate

Kumar's design, chosen from thousands of entries in a national competition, was a fusion of Indian ethos and modernity—a merger of the Devanagari letter ‘Ra’ (र) and the Roman capital ‘R’. The two horizontal strokes at the top not only symbolize the Indian tricolor but also the ‘equal to’ sign, representing economic balance.

Udaya Kumar, currently the Head of the Department of Design at IIT Guwahati, hails from Tamil Nadu. His journey began with a Bachelor’s degree in Architecture from Anna University, Chennai, followed by an MDes and PhD from IIT Bombay. His expertise in typography and design research led him to create Tamil fonts, including the well-known Parashakti, and work extensively on the modernization of Tamil script.

Given his contributions to Indian design and currency identity, the Tamil Nadu government’s decision to discard the rupee symbol in favor of a Tamil alternative has raised eyebrows. The BJP even called Stalin's move 'stupid'.

Kumar’s winning design not only made history but also earned him a prize of Rs 2.5 lakh. He has since gone on to design logos for major institutions like IIT Hyderabad and the National Testing Agency.