India joined an elite group last week - one of only a select few that has a unique typographic symbol to represent its currency.

The U.S. dollar, British pound, euro, & Japanese yen were the only former currencies to have the same feature.

New countries write constitutions and symbolize their new direction with a flag. I never considered how important – and what a differentiator – it was to have our dollar symbol.

I love how much the development of this symbol is inspirational for the people of India:

"With this, India will join an elite group of countries which have a distinct currency symbol. It denotes the robustness of Indian economy," noted India's Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Ambika Soni.

“[It is] a way of saying we are entering into the realm of the developed world," says Harish Bijoor, a brand and business strategy consultant in Bangalore.

Its a simple move, but a meaningful one for the people of India.

Articles referenced from Fast Company & Brand Channel.

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