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.

The Mechanised Infantry Regiment has participated in Operation Pawan in Sri Lanka, Operation Rakshak in Punjab and Jammu & Kashmir and Operation Vijay in Jammu & Kashmir. It also specialises in UN Peacekeeping Operations in Somalia, Congo, Angola and Sierra Leone. The Regiment has its affiliation to INS Gharial, of the Indian Navy. The The Mechanised Infantry Regiment of the Indian Army has a special distinction of operating even in the high altitude areas of Ladakh and Sikkim.

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 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