Goodbye to ill-fitting clothes, India gets its own clothing size chart

India is set to get its own clothing size standards, with a new chart based on the body measurements of Indians replacing the Western sizing systems traditionally used by apparel brands. Several leading brands have already adopted the new measurements.

The 'India Size Chart', unveiled in January this year, was developed by the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) under the Union Ministry of Textiles. It seeks to replace the US and UK sizing standards that the Indian apparel industry has traditionally relied on.

More than 2,400 registrations from the industry have been received on the official website to download the free e-book containing the measurements. A decision on introducing uniform sizing standards and a new 'IN' label for garments manufactured in India is expected soon.

The initiative was based on an extensive study of Indian body types. In collaboration with the Clothing Manufacturers Association of India (CMAI), NIFT set up 3D full-body scanning machines in six cities — Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata and Shillong.

The exercise collected body measurements and data from more than 26,000 people, which were then used to develop a sizing system suited to the Indian population.

The resulting chart provides 13 distinct size measurements for women and 14 for men. It also takes into account three height categories and five body types to accommodate variations in Indian body structures.

The Ministry of Textiles is offering digital access to the size charts through its website, www.indiasize.in, at a price of ₹20,000.