"Never expected such a debate to ever occur": Rupee symbol designer Udaya Dharmalingam over TN Budget row

Chennai: Professor D. Udaya Kumar, the IIT Guwahati academic who designed the official ₹ (rupee) symbol, has distanced himself from the controversy over Tamil Nadu’s 2025-26 budget logo, which replaces the rupee sign with the Tamil letter ‘ரூ’ (Ru).

The move, which has reignited the language debate between the DMK-led Tamil Nadu government and the BJP-led Centre, has sparked political backlash. However, Udaya Kumar, who hails from Tamil Nadu, emphasized that the decision to use or replace symbols rests entirely with the government.

Also read: Tamil Nadu drops rupee symbol in Budget logo, fuels fresh language debate with Centre

‘Didn’t expect such a debate’

Speaking to ANI, Kumar expressed surprise over the controversy, stating that he was unaware of the exact reasons behind the change. "I designed the rupee symbol 15 years ago as part of a national competition. It was implemented by the government and has been widely used ever since. I never expected such a debate to occur over it," he said.

The ₹ symbol, adopted in 2010, was chosen from over 3,300 entries in a nationwide design contest. It blends the Devanagari letter ‘Ra’ (र) and the Roman capital ‘R’, with two horizontal strokes symbolizing India’s national flag and economic stability.

Political storm over Tamil Nadu’s rupee logo

The Tamil Nadu government, led by Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, introduced the new rupee logo for the 2025-26 state budget, arguing that it aligns with Tamil linguistic and cultural identity. However, opposition leaders, particularly from the BJP, have slammed the move.

BJP state president K. Annamalai called it “laughable”, pointing out the irony that the rupee symbol was designed by a Tamilian and was once praised by former DMK Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi. He accused the DMK of playing divisive politics and diverting attention from corruption issues, such as recent ED raids on TASMAC over ₹1,000 crore kickbacks.

BJP leader C.R. Kesavan criticized the DMK’s decision, calling it an “anti-federal stunt”, while Narayanan Thirupathy labeled it “childish and nonsensical.”

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Udaya Kumar’s political background

Kumar’s connection to Tamil Nadu politics has also drawn attention. His father, N. Dharmalingam, was a former DMK MLA from the Rishivandiyam constituency. However, Kumar himself has stayed clear of political affiliations, reiterating that the government has the right to make such decisions.

"It’s entirely up to the state government. I don’t have anything to say about it," Kumar said, avoiding taking sides in the debate.