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D Udaya Kumar designed the Indian rupee symbol, now Tamil Nadu is replacing it. Kumar's design, a blend of Indian and Roman scripts, won a national contest and reflects his deep connection to Tamil Nadu and design expertise.
D Udaya Kumar is the mastermind behind the Indian rupee symbol, which was adopted in 2010. What's fascinating is that Kumar, a Tamilian, designed the symbol that the Tamil Nadu government has now decided to replace with a new logo featuring the Tamil alphabet 'Ru'.
Kumar's journey to creating the rupee symbol began with a nationwide contest organized by the Indian government. His design was chosen from over 3,000 entries, and he received a prize of Rs 2.5 lakh. The symbol is a unique blend of Indian and Roman letters, with the capital 'R' and Devanagri 'Ra' representing rupaiah. The two horizontal stripes at the top symbolize the national flag and the "equal to" sign.
As the son of N Dharmalingam, a former DMK MLA, Kumar's connection to Tamil Nadu runs deep. He holds a Bachelor's Degree in Architecture and a Master's Degree in Design (visual communication). Kumar also completed his PhD in design from the Industrial Design Centre, IIT Bombay. His areas of interest also include visual communication design, architecture, and design research, with a focus on Tamil typography.
Kumar has worked as a senior designer and design head for a monthly magazine and is currently a professor at IIT Guwahati. When asked about the Tamil Nadu government's decision to replace his design, Kumar took it in stride, saying that as a designer, one must be prepared to face criticism and challenges.
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