The United Kingdom follows its own apparel size, the United States too has its separate standards of measurement, and so does Europe. Other countries across the world more or less adjust their size requirements around these three standards. Now, India will also have its own standard of apparel size with the government introducing the ‘Size India’ project. The India size charts will be based on body measurements of the Indian population that will ensure better fitting of ready-to-wear garments.

Union Textile minister Smriti Irani said on Sunday the textiles and garments industry here would soon get India-specific apparel size. She was addressing the ‘Textile Conclave’ at the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit in Gandhinagar.

Irani said a study would be carried out before Size India project is introduced.

“In the apparel export segment, one of the biggest challenges is that the UK has its size, the US has its size, and Europe has its size of measurement. But, India does not have it,” she said.

“I hereby present the central government’s resolve that ‘Size India’ project will soon be rolled out for the entire country, the first-of-its-kind project in the Indian history,” Irani said.

The ministry has already sanctioned the study, under the Research and Development Scheme, to the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) to develop Indian size charts.

According to the NIFT, the Size India project plans to measure 25,000 people aged 18 to 65 years in six different regions of India — east, west, north, central, south and north-east — using 3D body scanners.

Other than US, UK and Europe, Australia, Japan and Korea have their own apparel sizes. Within Europe too, France, Spain, Germany and Italy have their sizing standards, as do Canada and Mexico in North America.

For apparels, US size 2 is equivalent to UK size 4 and European size 32.

The Indian textile sector currently follows the universal size measurement standard categorised as ‘XS’ (Extra Small), ‘S’ (Small), ‘L’ (Large), ‘M’ (Medium), ‘L’ (Large), ‘XL (Extra Large) and so on.

As far as shoe sizes are concerned, India and UK follow the same standards. US and Europe shoe sizes are different. For example, a UK size 5 or India size 5 shoe (9.5 inches) is equivalent to US size 5.5 and Europe size 37.5.