Created by Zwerubae
Last edited January 10, 2026
Talk
Commodore
Flag of a commodore
Rank insignia of a commodore
Country India
Service branch Indian Navy
AbbreviationCmde
RankOne-star rank
Next higher rankRear admiral
Next lower rankCaptain
Equivalent ranksBrigadier (Indian Army)
Air commodore (Indian Air Force)
Equivalent ranks of Indian military
Commission Indian Navy Indian Army Indian Air Force
Commissioned Admiral of the fleet Field marshal Marshal of the Indian Air Force
Admiral General Air chief marshal
Vice admiral Lieutenant general Air marshal
Rear admiral Major general Air vice marshal
Commodore Brigadier Air commodore
Captain Colonel Group captain
Commander Lieutenant colonel Wing commander
Lieutenant commander Major Squadron leader
Lieutenant Captain Flight lieutenant
Sub lieutenant Lieutenant Flying officer
Junior commissioned Master chief petty officer 1st class Subedar major[Alt 1] Master warrant officer
Master chief petty officer 2nd class Subedar[Alt 2] Warrant officer
Chief petty officer Naib subedar[Alt 3] Junior warrant officer
Non-commissioned Petty officer Havildar/Daffadar Sergeant
Leading seaman Naik/Lance daffadar Corporal
Seaman 1 Lance naik/Acting Lance-Daffadar Leading aircraftsman
Seaman 2 Sepoy/Sowar Aircraftsman
  1. ↑ Risaldar major in cavalry and armoured regiments
  2. ↑ Risaldar in cavalry and armoured regiments
  3. ↑ Naib risaldar in cavalry and armoured regiments. Called jemadar until 1965.

Commodore is a one-star rank in the Indian Navy. Commodore ranks above the rank of captain and below the two-star rank of rear admiral.

The equivalent rank in the Indian Army is brigadier and in the Indian Air Force is air commodore.

Cmde PG Pyunumootil in a commodore's uniform.

History

After the Independence of India, Captain Ajitendu Chakraverti was the first Indian to be promoted to the rank of commodore, when he took over as the officiating Chief of Staff at Naval Headquarters.[1]

Appointments

Officers in the rank of commodore hold important appointments like Commodore Commanding Submarines (COMCOS). The command and control of all submarines with the Western and Eastern Naval Commands resides with the COMCOS. The COMCOS (West) and COMCOS (East) report into the FOC-in-C of their respective commands. Officers in the rank of commodore serve as commanding officers of shore establishments like INS Hansa, INS Shivaji, etc. Commodores also fill appointments of naval officer-in-charge (NOIC) of naval areas. The naval attachés and naval advisors at India's high commissions and embassies in select countries are officers of the rank of commodore.[2][3][4] At Naval headquarters, commodores hold the appointments of principal directors of directorates and branches.

Insignia

The pennant of a Commodore has a horizontal red stripe and a vertical red stripe intersecting at the centre. On top of the intersection is superimposed a navy-blue Ashoka Chakra with the upper canton next to the staff containing one red roundel.[5] The badge of rank consists of a band of gold lace, with a circle of lace above. A commodore wears gorget patches which are golden patches with one white star. In addition to this, the double-breasted reefer jacket has one broad golden sleeve stripe with a circle above.

Pay scale

Commodores are at pay level 13A, with a monthly pay between ₹139,600 and ₹217,600 with a monthly service pay of ₹15,500.[6][7][8]

Famous Indian commodores

Rank insignia and personal flag

See also

References

  1. ↑ "PIB (Defence Wing)" (PDF). pibarchive.nic.in.
  2. ↑ "Embassy of India, Moscow (Russia)". indianembassy-moscow.gov.in.
  3. ↑ "High Commission of India, London, United Kingdom : High Commission Officers". www.hcilondon.gov.in.
  4. ↑ "Welcome to Embassy of India, Washington D C, USA". indianembassyusa.gov.in.
  5. ↑ Singh 2018, p. 398.
  6. ↑ . 20 November 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20151120092637/http://7cpc.india.gov.in/pdf/sevencpcreport.pdf. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 November 2015. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  7. ↑ DelhiJune 29, India Today Web Desk New; June 29, India Today Web Desk New; Ist, India Today Web Desk New. "7th Pay Commission cleared: What is the Pay Commission? How does it affect salaries?". India Today.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  8. ↑ "Pay Scale of Officers - Join Indian Navy | Government of India". www.joinindiannavy.gov.in.

Bibliography

  • Singh, Anup (2018), Blue Waters Ahoy!: The Indian Navy 2001-2010, HarperCollins Publishers India, ISBN 978-9353025526


Template:Military ranks by country