When Commonwealth, Foreign or Indian merchant ships, or any ships not in the Indian Navy, salute Indian Naval Ships, the return salutes shall be five guns to a single ship and seven to more than one sailing in company.
SECTION VI – DRESING SHIP AND FLAGS TO BE HOISTED WHEN SALUTING OR RETURNING SALUTES
44. Dressing Ship- (1) On the occasions laid down in Regulation 14 all Indian Naval Ships and vessels in port, which are supplied with necessary material, shall be dressed overall from the time of hoisting colours until sun set.
(2) Indian Naval Ships under way in the vicinity of an anchorage, and those not fitted with dressing lines, shall dress only with ensigns at their mast heads and national flag at the Jack staff. This method shall also be adopted by other ships by order of the Senior Officer present, should conditions render dressing ship overall inexpedient.
(3) Indian Naval Ships shall also be dressed by order of the Senior Officer present when in the presence of a President’s flag or Royal Standard on occasions of visits of a President or Royal personages, and on certain Commonwealth or Foreign ceremonial occasions when in the presence of ships, or in the waters of the nations concerned. The manner of dressing and time during which ships shall be dressed shall be stated on each of these occasions according to circumstances.
(4) On occasions when Indian Navy Ships are dressed in honour of an Indian ceremonial or personage ships wearing an Admiral’s flag or Commodores broad pendant shall wear the white ensign only at masts not occupied by either of the above; other ships shall wear the white ensign at each mast.
(5) On occasions when Indian Naval ships are dressed in honour of Commonwealth or foreign ceremonial or personage, single-masted ships wearing the President’s standard, flag or broad pendant shall wear the country’s ensign alongside this standard, flag, or broad pendant; other single-masted ships shall wear the country’s ensign alone. In ships with more than one mast wearing the President’s standard, the country’s ensign shall be worn at the fore. In ships with more than one mast wearing a flag or broad pendant, the country’s ensign shall be worn at the main, and the flag or broad pendant at the fore; other ships shall wear the country’s ensign at the main and the white ensign at the remaining masts. Ships not supplied with the appropriate country’s ensign shall wear the white ensign instead, and be subject to the provisions of subregulation (4).