India will get its own size charts to cater to the 'unique body structure' of its people

• The National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), under the administrative control of the Textiles Ministry, will conduct the survey.
  
• Project will involve measuring 25000 people between the age group of 15-65 years from various parts of the country.
• Of the Rs 30 crore, the ministry will give Rs 21 crore and the NIFT will pitch in with about Rs 9 crore.

India, a nation obsessed with the right fit—ask any poor tailor out there who has been tasked to ‘alter’ a micro millimetre from the waist or arm of a blouse—is finally set to get it’s very own standardised size chart for ready-made garments.

The National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), under the administrative control of the Textiles Ministry, has been tasked to take up this project which will involve measuring 25000 people between the age group of 15-65 years from various parts of the country — Kolkata, Mumbai, New Delhi, Hyderabad, Bengaluru and Shillong — with high-tech full-body scanners. These 3D non-contact body scanners will basically take the measurements and the collated anthropometric (the scientific study of the measurements and proportions of the human body) data will then be used to arrive at a standardised size chart.

The primary reason for this move according to a statement made by the Textile Ministry is that the "Indian apparel industry uses size charts which are tweaked versions of size charts of other countries so returns of the garments are in the range of 20 to 40 percent and is increasing with the growth of e-commerce and the main reason for returns are poor garment fit."

These findings will also go on to help various other industries like automotive, aerospace, fitness and sport, art and computer gaming to produce ergonomically designed products that are suited for the Indian population.

According to NIFT Director General, Sarada Muraleedharan, the entire survey will cost around 30 crores and will take around 2-3 years to complete. She added that "The NIFT had been toying with this idea since 2006. But you can say the stars finally aligned, and with the support of the Ministry of Textiles, we are ready for this exercise. Of the Rs 30 crore, the ministry will give Rs 21 crore and the NIFT will pitch in with about Rs 9 crore."

Once done, India will join the 14 countries — US, Canada, Mexico, UK, France, Spain, Germany, Korea, China and Australia — that have successfully completed national sizing surveys.

Image courtesy: Ian Muttoo (originally posted to Flickr as Only Two Colours) [CC BY-SA 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons