Highlights:
- The Indian Army and the National Institute of Fashion Technology collaborated to create the troops’ uniforms in line with Make in India (NIFT).
- The colour scheme will remain the same – olive and earthy shades.
- Three times in total the Indian Army’s uniform been changed
What is in the News?
The Indian Army and the National Institute of Fashion Technology collaborated to create the troops’ uniforms in line with Make in India (NIFT).
The first sight of the new battle uniform for its soldiers will be on show later this month, on January 15, during the Army Day Parade.
The Indian Army and the National Institute of Fashion Technology collaborated to create the troops’ uniforms in line with Make in India (NIFT). The design, which is based on disruptive digital patterns, was built with the comfort of the soldiers in mind as well as the various terrains in which they are deployed.
Is it going to be sold on the open market?
No, the newly created fabric for soldier uniforms will not be accessible on the open market; instead, it will be distributed in batches to officers and troops in their units.
There are plans to offer an open tender to both private and public sector enterprises to supply and manufacture these new Battle Dress Uniforms to suit the requirements of the Indian Army’s 13 lakh strong force (BDU).
Why it won’t be offered on the open market?
“Due to security reasons, the newly created disruptive pattern for the uniform will not be accessible on the open market,” a senior officer said.
This implies that once the companies reply to the open offer, orders for uniforms of various sizes will be placed in bulk, which will then be distributed to various units and formations of the Indian Army, where they can be purchased.
Fabric
As previously reported by the Financial Express Online, the Ministry of Defence was planning to change the Indian Army’s uniform to account for various weather conditions and terrains – extreme hot and sub-zero temperatures, as well as the material to be used – Terrycot is not comfortable for soldiers in various conditions, as is cotton material.
As a result, the material chosen for use is likely to be sturdier and lighter, keeping the soldier’s comfort in mind. The Indian Army has expressed worry about the battle clothing used by paramilitary groups and state police. These concerns were brought to the attention of the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Home Affairs.
The new uniform pattern’s colour
The colour scheme will remain the same – olive and earthy shades.
Are they going to be tucked in?
No, while the uniform pants will have more pockets, the shirts will not be tucked in under the new design.
What can we expect?
It’s possible that the way the service stripes are displayed will change. The stripes that designate the ranks are now positioned on the shoulders of the current uniform. There are plans to relocate it to the front buttons, similar to how big forces across the world do. It’s possible that the way the belts are worn will alter. All of this is taken into account to guarantee that the soldier feels comfortable in a variety of terrains.
How many times has the Indian Army’s uniform been changed?
Three times in total.
The first instance was after Independence, when it was done to ensure that Indian and Pakistani armies wore separate uniforms.
Another alteration was made in 1980, and it was known as Disruptive Pattern (DP) Battle Dress.
In 2005, the government decided to alter the uniform for the third time to help distinguish the Army DP Battle Dress from the CRPF and BSF uniforms.
