Army secures IPR for new digital-print combat coat

The Indian Army has introduced the New Coat Combat (Digital Print) in January 2025, following the unveiling of its new digital-print combat uniform.

According to the Ministry of Defence, designed by the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), New Delhi, under a consultancy project of the Army Design Bureau, the three-layered coat incorporates advanced technical textiles. Its ergonomic structure enhances comfort, mobility and operational efficiency across varied climatic and tactical conditions.

The development marks another important step in the Army’s efforts to modernise, promote indigenisation and improve soldier comfort, it said.

The Army has formally registered the design with the Controller General of Patents, Designs and Trademarks, Kolkata, under Design Application No. 449667-001 dated February 27, 2025, published in the Patent Office Journal on October 7, 2025. This grants the Army exclusive IPR over both the coat’s design and camouflage pattern, ensuring legal protection against unauthorised manufacturing or commercial use under the Designs Act, 2000, Designs Rules, 2001, and the Patents Act, 1970.

The coat represents a major upgrade in combat functionality, protection and wearer comfort, the Army said.
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The New Coat Combat ensemble comprises a durable digitally printed outer coat, an insulated inner jacket and a thermal base layer for moisture and temperature regulation. Together, they represent a major upgrade in combat functionality, protection and wearer comfort, it further said.

The IPR registration underscores the Army’s growing focus on innovation, design protection and self-reliance in defence clothing systems, aligning with the vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat and the Army’s “Decade of Transformation (2023–2032).”