Army to Produce Its Own Clothes, Equipment; To Save Rs 300 Crore Annually

India’s current expenditure on importing Extreme Cold Weather Clothing System (ECWCS) is Rs 800 crore annually. To reduce this amount and promote ‘Make In India’, the Army is giving final touches to a long-pending project to manufacture specialised clothing, sleeping kits and key equipment for its soldiers deployed in the Siachen glacier.

According to a report in India Today, military sources said the Army is aiming at saving nearly Rs 300 crore annually by an indigenous production of these items which are, at present, sourced from countries like the USA, Australia, Canada and Switzerland.

The publication further states, “We have almost finalised the project under which a large number of items required for troops deployed in Siachen Glacier will be manufactured in India through the involvement of the private sector.”

Some of the things that will be produced in India include snow goggles, ice axe, boots, thermal insoles, avalanche victim detectors, rock pitons, and sleeping bags.

Over the last decade, the army has lost more than 160 personnel deployed at the Siachen Glacier in the Karakorum range. According to a report in The Times of India, some of the clothing gear, to be manufactured in India, will also be supplied to army personnel deployed in high-altitude locations like Doklam along the treacherous Sino-India border.

While the Army first mooted the idea of indigenously making these high-altitude clothing, it has taken all this while for it to happen finally.

In related news, in an article published in April on The Better India (TBI), we brought you the story of ‘Made in India’ bulletproof jackets. Speaking exclusively to TBI, Mr S C Kansal, Chairman, SMPP Private Limited, said, “This is a unique bulletproof jacket in that it is not only lightweight but can also defeat multiple bullet firings. The use of Boron Carbide Ceramic ensures that they remain the lightest-weight ballistic protection gear.”

You can read that article here.

Cover Photo: Protect India my Duty

(Edited by Shruti Singhal)

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