NIFT collaborates to design new uniforms for Indian Army

NIFT collaborates to design new uniforms for Indian Army

The Indian Army has partnered with the National Institute of Fashion Technology to design new combat uniforms for soldiers which will be unveiled for the first time during the Army Day Parade on January 15

The new ‘Battle Dress Uniform’ design for the Indian Army features disruptive digital patterns and have been developed with the aim of being comfortable to wear in different kinds of terrains. Due to security reasons, the newly designed fabric will be issued to army units directly and will not be available in the retail market

The Indian Army plans to issue an open tender to both the private and public sector businesses for the mass manufacturing and supply of the uniforms. The dress will be distributed to the army’s 13 lakh personnel.

The new uniform will focus on lightweight, technical textiles as opposed to its previous Terrycot but it will retain its classic colour palette of greens and earth tones. Rank designations and belt styles are expected to be changed. The Indian Army’s uniform has been changed three times before, most recently in 2005.

Same colour percentage as earlier

T new uniform will maintain the same colour percentage as in the present uniform, which is a mix of colours and shades, including olive and earthen.

As reported by ThePrint, unlike the current style, there will be no tucking in of shirts. The trousers will have additional pockets for the ease of the soldier. The material chosen for the cloth is meant to be “lighter but sturdier” and suitable for both summer and winter.

It was not immediately clear whether the new combat uniform will have shoulder and collar tags like the present one, or blackened ones for better camouflage.

Also, the shoulder stripes — denoting rank — could be moved to the front buttons, a pattern followed by other major armies as well.