Indian Navy shuns its colonial past, embraces new ensign inspired by Shivaji

It was a historic day for Indian Navy when PM Modi unveiled a new ensign on the sidelines of the commissioning of the Indigenous Aircraft Carrier Vikrant. In a bid to shed the last vestiges of its colonial past, the Saint George’s Cross was removed. Instead, it now features the national emblem with the Tricolour on the upper canton and the national emblem encompassed by an octagonal shield which sits atop an anchor. Beneath it is the Navy’s motto ‘Sam No Varunah’.