Indian Army Receives Patent on New Digital-Pattern Uniform to Curb Security Loophole

The Indian military has been raising the issue of the rampant unauthorized sale and misuse of its combat uniform in recent years, asking the authorities to take action against violators to plug possible gaps in national security.

The Indian Army on Thursday registered the intellectual property rights over its new digital-pattern uniform unveiled in January, making it illegal to manufacture and sell it at commercial shops across the country.

With the enforcement of exclusive rights over the design, the Army can now file infringement suits by way of civil action before a competent court of law.

“The exclusive ‘Intellectual Property Rights (IPR)’ of the Design and Camouflage Pattern now rests solely with the Indian Army, and therefore manufacturing by any vendor who is not authorized to do so will be illegal and is liable to face legal repercussions,” the ministry warned.

Designed by the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) and “in close coordination” with the Army, the new uniform is lighter, stronger, breathable, quick-drying, and easier to maintain.

The uniform will be available through central procurement and the Canteen Stores Department (CSD) from August 2023. As per the plan, 1.3 million personnel will switch over to the new combat fatigues in place of the decades-old battle fatigues by 2026.

The Indian Army has flagged concerns over the proliferation of its uniforms several times, as several incidents of terrorists acquiring the military's combat uniforms have occurred in recent years.