Know all about Mechanised Infantry Regiment, Indian army's combat arm with lethal firepower

The 68th Republic Day Parade on Thursday saw the smartly attired soldiers of the Mechanised Infantry regiment march down the Rajpath. The marching contingents of army included horse-mounted columns of the 61st Cavalry, the Mechanised Infantry Regiment, the Bihar Regiment, the 39 Gorkha Training Centre, 58 Gorkha Training Centre, the Madras Engineering Group and Centre and 103 Infantry Battalion (Territorial Army) Sikh Light Infantry.

The Mechanised Infantry Regiment is an infantry regiment of the Indian Army which specialises in mechanised warfare. The battalions of the regiment form integral part of the armoured formation in the Indian army.

So here is all you need to know about Indian Army's Mechanised Infantry regiment

Mechanised Infantry 

Raised                      1979 

Role                          Line Infantry        

Regimental Centre     Ahmednagar, Maharashtra

Motto                        Valour & Faith

War Cry                    Bolo Bharat Mata Ki Jai (Victory to Mother India)

Regimental Insignia   A rifle bayonet mounted on a BMP-1, depicting the infantry and mechanised facets of the Regiment

History of the Regiment:

The regiment was raised as a result of a strong need felt by the Indian Army for greater mobility for infantry regiments after the 1965 Indo-Pak War.

General K Sundarji is credited to have envisaged the requirement of having mechanised regiments which could be better equipped to deal with the modern combat doctrine of mechanised warfare.

Initially, some of the older infantry battalions of various regiments were equipped with the BMP-1 armoured personnel carriers. The need for something more concrete and viable was felt along with a need to develop a common philosophy with regards to the type of military doctrine. 

This resulted in the raising a totally new arm in the Indian Army, resulting in the various mechanised battalions being brought together under a single cap badge as the Mechanised Infantry Regiment in 1979

Operations:

The Mechanised Infantry Regiment has the distinction of participating in Operation Pawan in Sri Lanka, Operation Rakshak in Punjab and Jammu & Kashmir and Operation Vijay in Jammu & Kashmir. 

UN Peacekeeping Missions:

It has also contributed to the UN Peacekeeping Operations in Somalia, Congo, Angola and Sierra Leone. The Regiment has its affiliation to INS Gharial, of the Indian Navy. Gen Sundarji was appointed the first Colonel of the Mechanized Infantry Regiment, the post he held till his retirement. 

Battalions of the Mechanised Infantry Regiment

1st Battalion (former 1st Bn, The Madras Regiment)

2nd Battalion (former 1st Bn, Jat Light Infantry)

3rd Battalion (former 1st Bn, 8 Gorkha Rifles)

4th Battalion (former 1st Bn, Sikh Regiment)

5th Battalion (former 14th Bn, Kumaon Regiment)

6th Battalion (former 1st Bn, Garhwal Rifles)

7th Battalion (former 1st Bn, Dogra Regiment8th Battalion (former 7th Bn, Punjab Regiment)

9th Battalion (former 7th Bn, The Grenadiers)

10th Battalion (former 20th Bn, Maratha Light Infantry)

11th Battalion (former 18th Bn, Rajputana Rifles)

12th Battalion (former 8th Battalion, Parachute Regiment, previously 16th Bn, Mahar Regiment)

13th Battalion (former 18th Bn, Rajput Regiment)

14th Battalion (former 16th Bn, Jammu & Kashmir Rifles)

15th Battalion

16th Battalion

17th Battalion

18th Battalion

19th Battalion

20th Battalion

21st Battalion

22nd Battalion

23rd Battalion

24th Battalion (former 20th Bn, Rajput Regiment)

25th Battalion