Above, the forewings of the Indian Red Admiral are brown, reddish-orange and black, with black spots on the orange and white spots on the black background.

The hind-wings are are brownish, with dark brown spots towards the base, and a reddish-orange band on the outer edge, which is spotted with black and has a thin, interrupted, white outer edge near the apex.

The patterns and colours of the underwings are similar to those of the upper-wings, but somewhat darker. The body of this butterfly is greenish to grey-brown and it has a wingspan of 5.5 to 6 centimeters.