The national flag of India, commonly known as the Tiraṅgā (the tricolour), is a horizontal rectangular flag featuring three horizontal bands of India saffron, white, and India green. At its center is the Ashoka Chakra, a navy blue wheel with 24 spokes. This design was adopted during a meeting of the Constituent Assembly on July 22, 1947, and the flag officially became the flag of the Union of India on August 15, 1947. It has since continued as the flag of the Republic of India. In India, the term “tricolour” almost always refers to this national flag.
The Indian national flag is inspired by the Swaraj flag, which was adopted by Mahatma Gandhi after he made significant changes to the design proposed by Pingali Venkayya. This earlier flag featured a charkha (spinning wheel), which was later replaced by the Ashoka Chakra in 1947 under Jawaharlal Nehru’s direction.
Before the 2021 amendment to the flag code, the flag was required by law to be made of khadi, a special type of hand-spun cloth or silk popularized by Gandhi. The Bureau of Indian Standards outlines the manufacturing process and specifications for the flag, and the Khadi Development and Village Industries Commission holds the exclusive right to produce it, distributing manufacturing rights to regional groups. As of 2023, there are four licensed units in India authorized to produce the flag.
The usage of the flag is regulated by the Flag Code of India and other related laws. Initially, private citizens were restricted to using the flag only on national days such as Independence Day and Republic Day. However, following a 2002 Supreme Court ruling prompted by an appeal from private citizen Naveen Jindal, the code was amended to permit limited private use of the flag. Further amendments in 2005 expanded these permissions, including its adaptation for certain types of clothing. The flag code also specifies the protocols for flying the flag and its use alongside other national and non-national flags.