GUWAHATI: While several of its goods are in the field trial stage, Troop Comforts Ltd. (TCL), a defence PSU, has received a request for proposal (RFP) for a number of its domestically made military gear. In addition to apparel, the company is developing sleeping bags, multipurpose bags, ice pitons, hammer pitons, boots, and crampons. The Indian Army’s Eastern Command is in charge of field trials, but its Northern Command has received the RFPs, according to military authorities. After being split off from the former Ordnance Factory Board, TCL started operating in its current configuration in October 2021.Junior Works Manager Ranveer Singh stated, “We are working on indigenously developing specialised gear needed for our personnel posted in difficult terrain, from mountainous regions to extremely cold conditions.” “We were importing most of these items in their entirety, or at least significant parts of them. Currently, we are developing the items using our in-house technologies,” he stated. TCL, which has its headquarters in Kanpur, came to take part in the just finished “East Tech 2023,” a defence exhibition where almost 200 firms set up booths showcasing everything from top-tier hardware to cutting-edge technology.“To make sure that our staff has the best tools, we have been manufacturing a number of goods and are currently refining them. For instance, in the past, all personnel had to carry the usual military bags to carry their equipment. Another junior works manager at TCL, Pervez Badar, stated, “We have improved the design in terms of utility as well as looks now.” He did this while displaying a revised bag. According to Badar, similar innovations have also been made to sleeping bags to make them cosier and easier to fold. According to Singh, the Eastern Command is testing a number of TCL goods, the most of which are related to apparel, climbing equipment, and allied gears.“We also just took part in the Northern Command Expo, and we submitted 21 samples. For a number of our goods, we have received RFPs,” he continued. “We are convinced that we will produce some of the best defence equipment in the world after our products return from the field trials and we have taken the input into consideration. It will guarantee that our military requirements are met without reliance on foreign technology and will also result in significant savings in foreign cash,” the TCL official continued. With four production facilities spread out around the nation, TCL not only meets the needs of defence personnel—including those in the Ministry of Home Affairs forces—but it also provides supplies to state police forces.Its inventory consists of apparel, accessories, and cutting-edge tech goods to outfit workers operating in 50 degree to 50 degree Celsius environments, ranging from glaciers to deserts.
