The House flag of the India General Steam Navigation Co. A rectangular flag quartered in red and blue with a white cross. In the centre is a five-pointed red star. The flag is made of a wool and synthetic fibre bunting. It has a cotton hoist and is machine sewn. A rope and toggle is attached.
The India General Steam Navigation Company was formed in 1844 to run a steamer service on the river Ganges to support the expanding tea and jute industries. The ships were paddle wheelers built of iron and were 100 feet long and 22 feet wide amidships excluding the paddle boxes. The steamers carried cargo and provided accommodation for the officers, whilst an accommodation barge (flat) for passengers and cargo was towed astern. In addition to the towing hawsers there was a broad wooden beam. This connected the barge’s bow and the towing steamer’s stern by a socket and pin arrangement. The beam also acted as a communicating gangway. These shallow draught craft were ideal for the complex waterways in the area known as the Sunderbans.

By 1884, after mergers and acquisitions, the India General had a fleet of 29 steamers, 2 launches and 55 flats. The company, like its main rival, the Rivers Steam Navigation had to adapt to the growing competition from the development and expansion of railways in the area. There were periods of both competition and cooperation between India General and the Rivers Steam but by 1889 both companies worked together and were often referred to as the Joint Steamer Companies. In 1963 the assets of the India General were transferred to the Rivers Steam Navigation.