INR – Indian Rupee

Monetary System

1835: 1 Indian rupee = 16 annas = 64 paise = 192 pies
00.04.1957: 1 Indian rupee = 100 naye paise
00.06.1964: 1 Indian rupee (INR) = 100 paise

2016 – 2020 Mahatma Gandhi (New) Issues

India demonetized all 500- and 1,000-rupee notes on 9 November 2016, “to tackle counterfeiting Indian banknotes, to effectively nullify black money hoarded in cash, and curb funding of terrorism with fake notes.” The old notes could be deposited at the RBI with valid proof of identity. The first of the “Mahatma Gandhi (New)” series to be issued were the 500- and 2,000-rupee notes in 2016, followed by the 10-, 50-, and 200-rupee notes in 2017, and the 20-rupee note in 2019.

Description: 10.00 INR – Indian Rupee Size: 123 x 63 mm

Chocolate brown. Front: Denomination as registration device; Mahatma Gandhi; RBI seal with tiger and palm tree; lion capital of Ashoka pillar. Back: Swachh Bharat logo (Gandhi’s eyeglasses); language panel; stone wheel engraved on Sun Temple in Konark. Windowed security thread with demetalized RBI and भारत (India). Watermark: Electrotype 10; Mahatma Gandhi; vertical RBI; 10. Printer: (India Security Press). 123 x 63 mm. Paper.

Description: 20.00 INR – Indian Rupee Size: 129 x 63 mm

Yellowish-green. Front: Denomination as registration device; Mahatma Gandhi; RBI seal with tiger and palm tree; lion capital of Ashoka pillar. Back: Swachh Bharat logo (Gandhi’s eyeglasses); language panel; Ellora Caves. Windowed security thread with demetalized RBI and भारत (India). Watermark: Electrotype 20; Mahatma Gandhi; vertical RBI; 20. Printer: (India Security Press). 129 x 63 mm. Paper.

Description: 50.00 INR – Indian Rupee Size: 135 x 66 mm

Fluorescent blue. Front: Denomination as registration device; Mahatma Gandhi; RBI seal with tiger and palm tree; lion capital of Ashoka pillar. Back: Swachh Bharat logo (Gandhi’s eyeglasses); language panel; Hampi with Chariot. Windowed security thread with demetalized RBI and भारत (India). Watermark: Electrotype 50; Mahatma Gandhi; vertical RBI; 50. Printer: (India Security Press). 135 x 66 mm. Paper.

Description: 100.00 INR – Indian Rupee Size: 142 x 66 mm

Lavender. Front: Denomination as registration device; Mahatma Gandhi; RBI seal with tiger and palm tree; lion capital of Ashoka pillar. Back: Swachh Bharat logo (Gandhi’s eyeglasses); language panel; Rani Ki Vav (The Queen’s Stepwell) in Patan, Gujarat. 3-mm wide green-to-blue windowed security thread with demetalized RBI and भारत (India). Watermark: Electrotype 100; Mahatma Gandhi; vertical RBI; 100. Printer: (India Security Press). 142 x 66 mm. Paper.

Description: 200.00 INR – Indian Rupee Size: 146 x 66 mm

Bright yellow. Front: Denomination as registration device; Mahatma Gandhi; RBI seal with tiger and palm tree; lion capital of Ashoka pillar. Back: Swachh Bharat logo (Gandhi’s eyeglasses); language panel; Sanchi Stupa. 3-mm wide green-to-blue windowed security thread with demetalized RBI and भारत (India). Watermark: Horizontal 200; vertical RBI; Mahatma Gandhi; vertical electrotype 200. Printer: (India Security Press). 146 x 66 mm. Paper.

Description: 500.00 INR – Indian Rupee Size: 150 x 63 mm

Stone gray. Front: Denomination as registration device; Mahatma Gandhi; RBI seal with tiger and palm tree; lion capital of Ashoka pillar. Back: Swachh Bharat logo (Gandhi’s eyeglasses); language panel; Red Fort in Delhi. 3-mm wide green-to-blue windowed security thread with demetalized RBI and भारत (India). Watermark: Horizontal 500; vertical RBI; Mahatma Gandhi; vertical electrotype 500. Printer: (India Security Press). 150 x 63 mm. Paper.

More Information

According to its annual report for 2018 – 2019, the Reserve Bank of India agenda for 2019 – 2020 includes plans to introduce varnished 100-rupee notes “on a field trial basis in order to increase the life of Indian banknotes.” Additionally, the bank “will develop a mechanism/device for aiding the visually impaired in identification of denomination of banknotes.”

Outmoded Notes

2016 – 2020 Mahatma Gandhi (New) Issues

Description: 2,000.00 INR – Indian Rupee Size: 166 x 66 mm

Magenta. Front: Denomination as registration device; Mahatma Gandhi; RBI seal with tiger and palm tree; lion capital of Ashoka pillar. Back: Swachh Bharat logo (Gandhi’s eyeglasses); language panel; Mangalyaan (Mars Orbiter Mission space probe). 3-mm wide green-to-blue windowed security thread with demetalized RBI, 2000, andभारत(India). Watermark: Horizontal 2000; horizontal 2K; vertical RBI; Mahatma Gandhi; and vertical electrotype 2000. Printer: (India Security Press). 166 x 66 mm. Paper.

2015 – 2018 Issues

Description: 20.00 INR – Indian Rupee Size: 148 x 63 mm

Red, brown, green, and blue. Front: Denomination as registration device; lion capital of Ashoka pillar; flowers; Mahatma Gandhi; RBI seal with tiger and palm tree. Back: Language panel; palm trees, seashore, and lighthouse. Windowed security thread with demetalized RBI and भारत (India). Watermark: Electrotype 20; Mahatma Gandhi. Printer: (India Security Press). 148 x 63 mm. Paper.

Description: 50.00 INR – Indian Rupee Size: 148 x 73 mm

Pink, purple, orange, and brown. Front: Denomination as registration device; lion capital of Ashoka pillar; flowers; Mahatma Gandhi; RBI seal with tiger and palm tree. Back: Language panel; Parliament House in New Delhi. Windowed security thread with demetalized RBI and भारत (India). Watermark: Electrotype 50; Mahatma Gandhi. Printer: (India Security Press). 148 x 73 mm. Paper.

Description: 100.00 INR – Indian Rupee Size: 158 x 73 mm

Light green, orange, brown, green, purple, and blue. Front: Denomination as registration device; lion capital of Ashoka pillar; flowers; Mahatma Gandhi; RBI seal with tiger and palm tree. Back: Language panel; Kanchenjunga mountain range and clouds. 3-mm wide green-to-blue windowed security thread with demetalized RBI and भारत (India). Watermark: Electrotype 100; Mahatma Gandhi. Printer: (India Security Press). 158 x 73 mm. Paper.

2011 – 2017 Rupee Symbol Issues

These notes are like the preceding issues, but they now have the symbol for the rupee (₹) added before the denomination. Because these notes are still being issued, subvarieties based upon inset letters have not yet been assigned. In 2015, some denominations changed to novel “ascending size” serial numbers.

Description: 10.00 INR – Indian Rupee Size: 138 x 63 mm

Orange, purple, and brown. Front: English and Hindi text; lion capital of Ashoka pillar; denomination as registration device; Mahatma Gandhi; RBI seal with tiger and palm tree. Back: Language panel; rhinoceros, Bengal tiger, and elephant. Windowed security thread with demetalized RBI. Watermark: Electrotype vertical 10; Mahatma Gandhi. Printer: (India Security Press). 138 x 63 mm. Paper.

Description: 20.00 INR – Indian Rupee Size: 148 x 63 mm

Red, brown, green, and blue. Front: Denomination as registration device; lion capital of Ashoka pillar; flowers; Mahatma Gandhi; RBI seal with tiger and palm tree. Back: Language panel; palm trees, seashore, and lighthouse. Windowed security thread with demetalized RBI and भारत (India). Watermark: Electrotype 20; Mahatma Gandhi; vertical RBI; 20. Printer: (India Security Press). 148 x 63 mm. Paper.

Description: 50.00 INR – Indian Rupee Size: 148 x 73 mm

Pink, purple, orange, and brown. Front: Denomination as registration device; lion capital of Ashoka pillar; flowers; Mahatma Gandhi; RBI seal with tiger and palm tree. Back: Language panel; Parliament House in New Delhi. Windowed security thread with demetalized RBI and भारत (India). Watermark: Electrotype 50; Mahatma Gandhi; vertical RBI; 50. Printer: (India Security Press). 148 x 73 mm. Paper.

Description: 100.00 INR – Indian Rupee Size: 158 x 73 mm

Light green, orange, brown, green, purple, and blue. Front: Denomination as registration device; lion capital of Ashoka pillar; flowers; Mahatma Gandhi; RBI seal with tiger and palm tree. Back: Language panel; Kanchenjunga mountain range and clouds. 3-mm wide green-to-blue windowed security thread with demetalized RBI and भारत (India). Watermark: Electrotype 100; Mahatma Gandhi; vertical RBI; 100. Printer: (India Security Press). 158 x 73 mm. Paper.

2005 – 2012 Dated Issues

In 2005, the Reserve Bank of India began printing dates at the lower center on back of all denominations. All notes without printed dates were originally supposed to be withdrawn from circulation effective 1 April 2014, but the deadline was extended to 30 June 2016. These dated notes all have enhanced anti-counterfeiting features, including new windowed security threads.

Description: 10.00 INR – Indian Rupee Size: 138 x 63 mm

Orange, purple, and brown. Front: Denomination as registration device; lion capital of Ashoka pillar; Mahatma Gandhi; RBI seal with tiger and palm tree. Back: Language panel; rhinoceros, Bengal tiger, and elephant. Windowed security thread with demetalized RBIand भारत (India). Watermark: Electrotype 10; Mahatma Gandhi; vertical RBI; 10. Printer: (India Security Press). 138 x 63 mm. Paper.

Description: 20.00 INR – Indian Rupee Size: 148 x 63 mm

Red, brown, green, and blue. Front: Denomination as registration device; lion capital of Ashoka pillar; flowers; Mahatma Gandhi; RBI seal with tiger and palm tree. Back: Language panel; palm trees, seashore, and lighthouse. Windowed security thread with demetalized RBI and भारत (India). Watermark: Electrotype 20; Mahatma Gandhi; vertical RBI; 20. Printer: (India Security Press). 148 x 63 mm. Paper.

Description: 50.00 INR – Indian Rupee Size: 148 x 73 mm

Pink, purple, orange, and brown. Front: Denomination as registration device; lion capital of Ashoka pillar; flowers; Mahatma Gandhi; RBI seal with tiger and palm tree. Back: Language panel; Parliament House in New Delhi. Windowed security thread with demetalized RBI and भारत (India). Watermark: Electrotype 50; Mahatma Gandhi; vertical RBI; 50. Printer: (India Security Press). 148 x 73 mm. Paper.

Description: 100.00 INR – Indian Rupee Size: 158 x 73 mm

Light green, orange, brown, green, purple, and blue. Front: Denomination as registration device; lion capital of Ashoka pillar; flowers; Mahatma Gandhi; RBI seal with tiger and palm tree. Back: Language panel; Kanchenjunga mountain range and clouds. 3-mm wide green-to-blue windowed security thread with demetalized RBI and भारत (India). Watermark: Electrotype 100; Mahatma Gandhi; vertical RBI; 100. Printer: (India Security Press). 158 x 73 mm. Paper.