diff --git a/python/pyspark/sql/connect/functions/builtin.py b/python/pyspark/sql/connect/functions/builtin.py
index 6f3ce942eb17c..0c1fd63de5c94 100644
--- a/python/pyspark/sql/connect/functions/builtin.py
+++ b/python/pyspark/sql/connect/functions/builtin.py
@@ -2482,7 +2482,7 @@ def format_string(format: str, *cols: "ColumnOrName") -> Column:
 format_string.__doc__ = pysparkfuncs.format_string.__doc__
 
 
-def instr(str: "ColumnOrName", substr: str) -> Column:
+def instr(str: "ColumnOrName", substr: Union[Column, str]) -> Column:
     return _invoke_function("instr", _to_col(str), lit(substr))
 
 
diff --git a/python/pyspark/sql/functions/builtin.py b/python/pyspark/sql/functions/builtin.py
index 1e5349fb1649c..1ee5c357bd6ef 100644
--- a/python/pyspark/sql/functions/builtin.py
+++ b/python/pyspark/sql/functions/builtin.py
@@ -12821,7 +12821,7 @@ def format_string(format: str, *cols: "ColumnOrName") -> Column:
 
 
 @_try_remote_functions
-def instr(str: "ColumnOrName", substr: str) -> Column:
+def instr(str: "ColumnOrName", substr: Union[Column, str]) -> Column:
     """
     Locate the position of the first occurrence of substr column in the given string.
     Returns null if either of the arguments are null.
@@ -12838,11 +12838,14 @@ def instr(str: "ColumnOrName", substr: str) -> Column:
 
     Parameters
     ----------
-    str : :class:`~pyspark.sql.Column` or str
+    str : :class:`~pyspark.sql.Column` or column name
         target column to work on.
-    substr : str
+    substr : :class:`~pyspark.sql.Column` or literal string
         substring to look for.
 
+        .. versionchanged:: 4.0.0
+            `substr` now accepts column.
+
     Returns
     -------
     :class:`~pyspark.sql.Column`
@@ -12850,13 +12853,31 @@ def instr(str: "ColumnOrName", substr: str) -> Column:
 
     Examples
     --------
-    >>> df = spark.createDataFrame([('abcd',)], ['s',])
-    >>> df.select(instr(df.s, 'b').alias('s')).collect()
-    [Row(s=2)]
-    """
-    from pyspark.sql.classic.column import _to_java_column
+    Example 1: Using a literal string as the 'substring'
 
-    return _invoke_function("instr", _to_java_column(str), _enum_to_value(substr))
+    >>> from pyspark.sql import functions as sf
+    >>> df = spark.createDataFrame([("abcd",), ("xyz",)], ["s",])
+    >>> df.select("*", sf.instr(df.s, "b")).show()
+    +----+-----------+
+    |   s|instr(s, b)|
+    +----+-----------+
+    |abcd|          2|
+    | xyz|          0|
+    +----+-----------+
+
+    Example 2: Using a Column 'substring'
+
+    >>> from pyspark.sql import functions as sf
+    >>> df = spark.createDataFrame([("abcd",), ("xyz",)], ["s",])
+    >>> df.select("*", sf.instr("s", sf.lit("abc").substr(0, 2))).show()
+    +----+---------------------------+
+    |   s|instr(s, substr(abc, 0, 2))|
+    +----+---------------------------+
+    |abcd|                          1|
+    | xyz|                          0|
+    +----+---------------------------+
+    """
+    return _invoke_function_over_columns("instr", str, lit(substr))
 
 
 @_try_remote_functions
diff --git a/sql/api/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/functions.scala b/sql/api/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/functions.scala
index 8c49952bc31e3..35453603de5d3 100644
--- a/sql/api/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/functions.scala
+++ b/sql/api/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/functions.scala
@@ -3995,7 +3995,20 @@ object functions {
    * @group string_funcs
    * @since 1.5.0
    */
-  def instr(str: Column, substring: String): Column = Column.fn("instr", str, lit(substring))
+  def instr(str: Column, substring: String): Column = instr(str, lit(substring))
+
+  /**
+   * Locate the position of the first occurrence of substr column in the given string. Returns
+   * null if either of the arguments are null.
+   *
+   * @note
+   *   The position is not zero based, but 1 based index. Returns 0 if substr could not be found
+   *   in str.
+   *
+   * @group string_funcs
+   * @since 4.0.0
+   */
+  def instr(str: Column, substring: Column): Column = Column.fn("instr", str, substring)
 
   /**
    * Computes the character length of a given string or number of bytes of a binary string. The