Mechanised Infantry Regiment

The Mechanised Infantry Regiment is an infantry regiment of the Indian Army. It is one of the youngest regiments in the army, and though it was formed as a result of lessons learned in the 1965 Indo-Pak War, to give infantry battalions greater mobility, it was the mastermind of late Gen K Sundarji who had the foresight to cater the needs of a modern army. Initially, some of the older infantry battalions of various regiments were equipped with 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 tactics. This necessitated 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.

Gen Sundarji was appointed the first Colonel of the Mechanized Infantry Regiment, the post he held till his retirement.

Battalions converted to 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 Regiment
• 8th 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 to 23rd Battalions (all these 8 battalions are New Raisings, some with highly specialised roles)
• 24th Battalion (former 20th Bn, Rajput Regiment)