Indian Navy Ranks: Know Ranks Of Officers and Sailors

Indian Navy Ranks 2025: The Indian Navy is one of the most critical and esteemed organisations of India and serves as a powerful protector of the nation’s maritime borders. As working in the Indian Navy and serving the nation is an honourable career, many individuals are curious about the different ranks within the Indian Navy and how sailors are promoted to higher ranks.

It is important for the aspirants to know the different Indian Navy Ranks so that they can get an idea about promotions in the Indian Navy. In this article, we are providing detailed information on Indian Navy Ranks. Read on to know more.

NDA & NA Latest Update:
— The UPSC NDA 2025 exam will be conducted on April 13, 2025, and September 14, 2025, for NDA 1 and NDA 2 respectively and the admit card will be released soon on the official website.
— NDA 2 2025 Notification will be released on May 28, 2025.

Indian Navy Ranks

Before getting into the details of the Indian Navy Ranks, candidates must know that they can join the Indian Navy as an Officer or as a Sailor. For both Officers’ and Sailors’ posts, there are ample opportunities for growth and promotions. The Indian Navy recognizes talented, skilled, hard-working, and sincere employees and rewards them by providing badges.

Let us now look at the Indian Navy Rank structure of Officers and Sailors.

Indian Navy Ranks for Officers

The different Indian Navy Ranks for Officers are as below:

SI.No.	Ranks
1	Admiral
2	Vice Admiral
3	Rear Admiral
4	Commodore
5	Captain
6	Commander
7	Lieutenant Commander
8	Lieutenant
9	Sub Lieutenant
10	Midshipman

Indian Navy Ranks: Badge & Insignia for Indian Navy Officers

The image below shows the Badge and Insignia of Indian Navy Officer Ranks. These are identification and having knowledge of these badges and insignia helps one to identify and distinguish the different ranks of the Indian Navy.

Note the following important points regarding Indian Navy Ranks for Officers:

Officers join the Indian Naval Academy (INA) Midshipman.
Upon completion of their course from the Indian Naval Academy, they become Sub Lieutenant.
Through promotions, they can attain the highest rank of the Indian Navy – the Admiral.
The Admiral of the Fleet is a rank that is reserved for wartime use.

Indian Navy Ranks: For Sailors

The different Indian Navy Ranks for Sailors are as below:

SI.No.	Ranks
1	Master Chief Petty Officer I Class
2	Master Chief Petty Officer II Class
3	Chief Petty Officer
4	Petty Officer
5	Leading Rate
6	Seaman 1^st Class
7	Seaman 2^nd Class

Indian Navy Ranks: Badge for Indian Navy Sailors

The image below shows the Badge and Insignia of Indian Navy Sailor Ranks:

Note the following important points regarding Indian Navy Ranks for Sailors:

Sailors upon joining the Indian Navy hold the rank of Seaman 2nd Class.
Through promotions, they can attain the rank of Master Chief Petty Officer 1^st Class.

Promotion From Sailor to Officer Rank of Indian Navy

There is provision to get promoted from Sailor to Officer Rank of Indian Navy. Eligible Sailors (in terms of age, educational qualification, etc.) of the Indian Navy who have unique leadership qualities can become Commissioned Officer in the Navy. This is possible through two schemes, namely Commission Worthy (CW) scheme and the Special Duties (SD) scheme. Sailors who are very dedicated and sincere in their work can even rise up to the Admiral level.

This opportunity is given by the Indian Navy to its Sailors who might have not reached to officer level because of some unforeseen circumstances.

How To Join the Indian Navy as an Officer and Sailor?

As mentioned above, one can join the prestigious Indian Navy either as a Sailor or as an Officer.

To join the Indian Navy as an Officer, there are multiple options available:

National Defence Academy or NDA Exam
10+2 B.Tech. Entry
Combined Defence Service or CDS Exam
University Entry Scheme or UEE
Direct Entries

To join as a Sailor, the following options are available:

Artificer Apprentice (AA)
Senior Secondary Recruit (SSR)
Matric Recruit (MR)
Non-Matric Recruit

So, now you know everything about Indian Navy Ranks. We hope this detailed article will inspire you to join the Indian Navy.

Indian Navy Ranks: Frequently Asked Questions

Let’s look at some of the commonly asked questions about Indian Navy Ranks:

Q. What will be the rank immediately after joining as an officer?
A. After joining the Indian Navy officer the rank will be Midshipman and then the candidate can move up in the ladder through sincerity and hard work.

Q. What is the topmost rank for an officer?
A. The topmost rank of an officer is Admiral.

Q. What is the topmost rank in Sailor?
A. The topmost rank in Sailor is Master Chief Petty Officer 1st Class.

Q. I am a Sailor can I get a promotion as an officer?
A. Yes, under the Commission Worthy (CW) scheme and Special Duties (SD) scheme a sailor can be promoted as Commissioned Officer.

Q. What will be my rank when I join the Indian Navy as a Sailor?
A. After you join the Indian Navy as a Sailor your rank will be Seaman Ist Class.

Joining the Indian Navy as an Officer or Sailor is a matter of great honour and respect. So, if you really want to join the Indian Navy, you must take your preparation seriously. Note that to crack the exam to join the Indian Navy, one has to be strong academically, physically, and mentally. So, all these aspects must be taken care of during your preparation. At Embibe, you can take NDA mock tests for. These tests will be of great help in your preparation for the exams to join the Indian Navy.

If you have any queries regarding this article on Indian Navy Ranks, drop your questions in the comment box below. We will get back to you at the earliest.