Defence start-up AROO collaborates and makes ECWCS for the first time in India for the Indian Army

NEW DELHI, April 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- AROO is India's first defence start-up that creates the Intellectual Property in specialized defence clothing. AROO was started by Rohit Bedi and Munish Hinduja, in the defence space for apparel and gear, and through its OEM manufacturers the ECWCS (Extreme Cold Weather Clothing System) and other specialized defence clothing. AROO's business approach is unique as it creates the products and applications for a specialized category of clothing and gear and then partners with the most capable OEM (original equipment manufacturer) to supply the product to the Armed forces.

AROO's first product was ECWCS where it passed field trials in 2017 and are currently manufacturing this product in India through its OEM based out of Bengaluru. ECWCS is a 3-layer modular clothing system worn together, which is designed to operate in temperatures of up to -50 degrees Celsius. This product is used by Indian soldiers at high altitude regions including the Siachin Glacier which is the highest battlefield in the world. This clothing system was being imported for over 25 years. AROO can, with pride comment that AROO ECWCS outperforms the imported clothing systems provided to the Indian Army. It is also at a lower cost thus providing savings to the Indian government. Furthermore, the Indian Army is no longer dependent on foreign companies for this life-saving apparel. AROO is also in advanced field trials with the Indian Army for the new Trouser ECC (extreme cold clothing) which operates in temperatures up to -30 degrees Celsius.

Rohit Bedi, Co-founder AROO says, "We were inspired by the government's policies of 'Make in India'. Our vision started with the Indian government's focus to promote the indigenization of key imported products to decrease the dependencies on imports. Our mission is to provide world-class protection solutions for our 'JAWANS,' and our ambition is to exceed any world manufacturer in terms of product, quality and pricing.

With the government's initiative and thrust of encouraging Indian defence manufacturing. AROO realized the potential in this segment because a large portion of the special clothing and mountain equipment (SCME) was being imported into the country."

Munish Hinduja, Co-founder AROO says, "The manufacturing process designed by AROO is focused on creating a defect-free product. The manufacturing lines at our OEM's facility combined with our quality standards and rigorous raw material testing conducted at our OEM's in-house testing facility, provide us with real-time product performance, with an eye on the CLO value (warmth level) and waterproofness of the garment our production supply outperform foreign specifications by 20% to 75% on key performance parameters."

"AROO creates high-performance military-grade textiles with a functional design sensibility that provides comfort, performance, and protection to the end-user. The product's complexity requires a high level of technical ability in sewing and apparel construction. Our OEM for ECWCS has specialized infrastructure for seam sealing, sewing, and testing at both the textile and garment manufacturer levels".

About AROO 

Our products carry the branding of the wolf. AROO is the phonetic spelling of the wolf's call/howl and the wolf is our logo. The Wolf exhibits immaculate foresight, balance and agility. He is alert and loyal inspiring those around to prosper and survive in any situation. They have an instinctive understanding of leadership and goal-oriented tasks. They share a heightened intuition in threat assessments. They naturally organize themselves into packs applying strategy, patience and competence. These packs operate on a code of conduct, working together. They are communicative, sophisticated and relentless with an unwillingness to quit. Our jawans embody all these qualities and we at AROO aim to deliver the next generation of clothing systems and gear to the Indian Army which will enhance the capabilities of the Indian Wolf - Our Soldier, Our Jawan.

About Founders 

Rohit Bedi comes from an Army family, with lineage from both sides of his grandparents. He brings diverse expertise to AROO, having worked with multinationals in India, Dubai, the Philippines, and the United States in various roles of operations, sales, and marketing. Prior to Aroo he owned and operated his own boat charter company in Goa. He is so committed to the concept of "Make in India" and "Live in India" that he even gave up his American green card 3 years ago.

Munish Hinduja is a second-generation entrepreneur from an apparel manufacturing business and whose domain knowledge is primarily on product innovation, design and textile creation, he is self-taught and recognised internationally for his expertise and his knowledge in this domain. His deep understanding of ergonomics and functional design, coupled with manufacturing and sewing processes, helps AROO create next-generation products. 

Both the entrepreneurs joined hands over five years ago to ideate and toil to make 'AROO' a reality and to give India its first Indian Defence Start-Up in the apparel and gear segment, which has fulfilled the supply of over 60,000 ECWCS sets successfully so far making India proud. 

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