Indian Army Ranks and Insignia: Officers, JCOs & NCOs

Indian Army Ranks: Indian Army has introduced various ranks and cadres for administrative efficiency. Candidates aspiring to join the Indian Army must be familiar with various positions and the rank hierarchy before applying for any post. Ranks in the Indian Army are broadly classified into three categories. These are Commissioned Officers (CO), Junior Commissioned Officers (JCO), and other ranks (Non-Commissioned Officers and Soldiers).

The Indian military ranks are based on candidates’ qualifications, performance, and experience in a particular field. All the posts in the Commissioned Officers come under the Group A Service Officers. In comparison, posts in Junior Commissioned Officers come under the Group B Gazetted Officers. Read on to know about the Indian Army Officer ranks and salary, JCO ranks, how to join the Indian Army, and more.

Indian Army Ranks and Insignia

The Indian Army ranks reflect the ranks of western militaries, especially the British and Commonwealth militaries. At present, the Indian army ranks list is classified into three categories:

• Commissioned Officers (CO)
• Junior Commissioned Officers (JCO)
• Other ranks (Non-Commissioned Officers and Soldiers)

Let us look at the ranks under each of these three categories.

Ranks in Indian Army: Commissioned Officers

The Commissioned Officers are equivalent to All India Services and Group A Service Officers. The different ranks for Commissioned Officers are as under:

Sl. No	Rank
1	Field Marshal
2	General
3	Lieutenant General
4	Major General
5	Brigadier
6	Colonel
7	Lieutenant Colonel
8	Major
9	Captain
10	Lieutenant

Insignia for Commissioned Officers

The insignia for the Commissioned Officers are shown in the image below:

Indian Army Ranks List

The description for each of these insignia, as well as the collar patch for each of these ranks, are tabulated below:

Indian Army Ranks – Commissioned Officers	Insignia Description	Collar Patch
Field Marshal	National emblem over a crossed sword and baton in a lotus blossom wreath.	Crimson patches with five golden stars
General	National emblem over a five-pointed star, all over a crossed baton and sabre.	Crimson patches with four golden stars
Lieutenant General	National emblem over crossed baton and sabre.	Crimson patches with three golden stars
Major General	Five-pointed star over crossed baton and sabre.	Crimson patches with two golden stars
Brigadier	National emblem over three five-pointed stars in a triangular formation.	Crimson patches with one golden star
Colonel	National emblem over two five-pointed stars	Crimson patches with golden braids
Lieutenant Colonel	National emblem over five-pointed star.	–
Major	National emblem	–
Captain	Three five-pointed stars.	–
Lieutenant	Two five-pointed stars.	–

Note that the rank of Field Marshal is primarily ceremonial in India. To date, this rank has been conferred to only two officers of the Indian Army – Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw and Field Marshal KM Cariappa.

The usual highest rank of the Indian Army is the rank of General, which is held by the Chief of Army Staff (COAS). New officers in the Indian Army are commissioned as Lieutenants, and after that, they get promoted to higher ranks in the order mentioned above.

JCO Ranks in Indian Army

The Junior Commissioned Officers (JCO) of the Indian Army are equivalent to Group B Gazetted Officers. The different ranks for Junior Commissioned Officers are as under:

Sl. No	Rank
1	Subedar Major
2	Subedar
3	Naib Subedar

Insignia for Junior Commissioned Officers

The insignia for the Junior Commissioned Officers are shown in the image below:

The description of each of these insignia for each of these ranks is tabulated below:

Junior Commissioned Officers Ranks	Insignia Description
Subedar Major	Gold national emblem with stripe
Subedar	Two gold stars in one line with a stripe
Naik Subedar	One gold star with a stripe

Other Ranks in Indian Army

Other ranks in the Army include Non-Commissioned Officers and soldiers. They are authorised to wear Chevron as per the Corp Pattern or Regiment. Check the other different ranks below:

Sl. No	Rank
1	Company Quarter Master Havildar
2	Havildar
3	Naik
4	Lance Naik
5	Sepoy

Insignia for Other Ranks

The insignia for Non-Commissioned Officers and Soldiers of the Indian Army are shown in the image below:

The description of each of these insignia for each of these ranks is tabulated below:

Non-Commissioned Officer and Soldier Ranks	Insignia Description
CQMH	Three Strips and Ashoka Chakra on top
Havildar	Three rank chevrons
Naik	Two rank chevrons
Lance Naik	Single rank chevron
Sepoy	Plain shoulder badge only

How to Join the Indian Army?

There are several entry schemes available for both men and women to join the Indian Army.

Indian Army Entry Schemes for Men:

The entry schemes for men are given below:

• Intermediate (10+2) – National Defence Academy (NDA) exam and 10+2 Technical Entry Scheme
• Graduate UPSC – Indian Military Academy Direct (IMA) and Officers Training Academy (OTA) – Non-Technical
• Graduate Non-UPSC – SSC (JAG) and SSC (NCC)
• Graduate Technical Entries – University Entry Scheme (UES), TGC (Engineers), SSC (Technical) and AEC
• Service Entries – ACC, PC (SL), and SCO
• Miscellaneous Entries – Territorial Army (TA), RVC, AMC (NT), and APS

Indian Army Entry Schemes for Women:

The entry schemes for women are given below:

• Graduate UPSC – SSCW (Non-Tech)
• Graduate Non-UPSC – SSCW (NCC) and SSCW (JAG)
• Graduate Tech Entries – SSCW (Technical)

Indian Ranks in the Army, Navy, and Airforce

Check the comparison of ranks of the Army, Navy, and Airforce in this section.

Indian Armed Forces: Ranks of Officers

Please find the ranks of the Indian Armed Forces Officers below:

Indian Army Ranks	Indian Navy Ranks	Indian Airforce Ranks
Field Marshal	Admiral of the Fleet	Marshal of Air Force
General	Admiral	Air Chief Marshal
Lieutenant General	Vice Admiral	Air Marshal
Major General	Rear Admiral	Air Vice Marshal
Brigadier	Commodore	Air Commodore
Colonel	Captain	Group Captain
Lieutenant Colonel	Commander	Wing Commander
Major	Lieutenant Commander	Squadron Leader
Captain	Lieutenant	Flight Lieutenant
Lieutenant	Sub Lieutenant	Flying Officer

JCO Ranks in Indian Army & Other Ranks

Please find the JCO ranks below:

Indian Army Ranks	Indian Navy Ranks	Indian Airforce Ranks
Subedar Major	Master Chief Petty Officer I	Master Warrant Officer
Subedar	Master Chief Petty Officer II	Warrant Officer
Naib Subedar	Chief Petty Officer	Junior Warrant Officer
Havildar	Petty Officer	Sergeant
Naik	Leading Seaman	Corporal
Lance Naik	Seaman I	Leading Aircraftman
Sepoy	Seaman II	Aircraftman

Indian Army Ranks and Salary

Not all levels are recruited directly through the NDA or CDS exams. In reality, only a small number of people are hired directly, and the remainder is promoted following a training period. These levels are further classified as Non-Commissioned Officers, Junior Commissioned Officers, and Commissioned Officers.

Indian Army Salary: After the 7th Pay Commission

Please check the salaries of the Indian Army ranks below:

Rank/Pay Level	Salary (After 7th Pay Commission)
Chief of Army Staff (Level 18)	INR 2,50,000/- (Fixed)
VCOAS/Army Cdr/Lieutenant General (NEGS) (Level 17)	INR 2,25,000/- (Fixed)
Indian Army Lieutenant General Salary (Level 15)	INR 1,82,200/- – INR 2,24,100/-
Indian Army Major General Salary (Level 14)	INR 1,44,200/- – INR 2,18,200/-
Indian Army Brigadier Salary (Level 13 A)	INR 1,39,600/- – INR 2,17,600/-
Indian Army Colonel Salary (Level 13)	INR 1,30,600/- – INR 2,15,900/-
Indian Army Lieutenant Colonel Salary (Level 12)	INR 1,21,200/- – INR 2,12,400/-
Indian Army Major Salary (Level 11)	INR 69400/- – INR 2,07,200/-
Indian Army Captain Salary (Level 10 B)	INR 61,300/- – INR 1,93,900/-
Indian Army Lieutenant Salary (Level 10)	INR 56,100/- – INR 1,77,500/-
Indian Army Subedar Major Salary (Level 8)	INR 34,800/-
Indian Army Subedar Salary (Level 7)	INR 34,800/-
Indian Army Naib Subedar Salary (Level 6)	INR 34,800/-
Indian Army Havaldar Salary (Level 5)	INR 34,800/-
Indian Army Naik Salary (Level 4)	INR 20,200/-
Indian Army Lance Naik Salary (Level 3)	INR 20,200/-
Indian Army Sepoy Salary (Level 3)	INR 20,200/-

FAQs on Indian Army Ranks 2022

Following are some of the frequently asked questions related to the Indian Army Ranking and Insignia:

Q.1: What are the different ranks of the Indian Army?
A. In the Indian Army, the ranks are classified into three categories:

• Commissioned Officers
• Junior Commissioned Officers
• Other Ranks (Non-Commissioned Officers and Soldiers)

Q2: What is the highest rank in the Indian Army?
A. The highest rank in the Indian Army is the Field Marshal. However, this has been conferred only to two officers of the Indian Army – Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw and Field Marshal KM Cariappa. The usual highest rank is the rank of General which is held by the Chief of Army Staff of the Indian Army (COAS).

Q.3: What is the lowest rank in the Indian Army?
A. The lowest rank is the Sepoy in the Indian Army.

Q.4: Which is the first rank of commissioned officers in the Indian Army?
A. Candidates who join the Indian Army as officers will be commissioned as Lieutenant.

Q.5: Which rank is given after NDA?
A. For candidates joining the army through the NDA exam, they will be commissioned as Lieutenant after completion of training