The Indian Department of Posts and Telegraph has been producing aesthetically designed stamps on various themes since the last century or so. However, amongst the best and most appealing stamps are the ones produced on the AnDed Forces of India. The majority of such stamps is related to infantry regiments and battalions.

The Army came into prominence through stamps way back in 1966 when a stamp with the caption' Jai Jawan' was released. It paid a glowing tribute to the soldiers following their brilliant achievement in the 1965 Indo- Pak war. Following the resounding victory in 1971 Indo-Pak war, a series of aesthetically designed and colourful stamps was released with a regularity unmatched by any other country. These stamps paid tributes to various AnDy regiments, corps and units.

The first stamp on an infantry regiment was printed in 1979. The multi-coloured stamp on the Punjab Regiment depicted the' galley' badge alongwith three soldiers of different eras. The following decade saw colourful and striking stamps on various other infantry regiments and units, such as the Mahar Regiment (1981), Garhwal Rifles and Garhwal Scouts (1983), I Para (Commando) (1986), 7 Mechanised Battalion (I Dogra) (1987) and 4 Kumaon (1988).

The nineties saw a further improvement in the quality of stamps. To continue with the infantry, one colour stamp on 3 and 5 Battalions of the 5th Gorkha Rifles (Frontier Force) was printed in 1990. Then came multi- coloured stamps on other regiments and units such as the Jat Regiment (1995), Rajputana Rifles (Napiers) (1995), Sikh Regiment ( 1996), 2 Grenadiers ( 1996) and 2 Para (Maratha) (1997). Most of these stamps depicted soldiers attired in varied, colourful unifonn representing different eras of the regiment or the battalion, while specialised regiments symbolically display their main equipment on their stamps.

In 1995, a special and colourful stamp was brought out on Field Marshal KM Cariappa who was the first Indian Commander-in-Chief of our Army after independence. He was an outstanding infantryman who was also the Colonel of the Rajput Regiment and is universally acclaimed as a 'legend of legends' of Indian Anny. Recently a very striking stamp has been released on the auspicious occasion of the bicentenary of the 4th Battalion of the Brigade of the Guards (I Rajput), now mechanised. The stamp is represented by two soldiers, one adorned in the 1798 uniform of the Rajput Regiment while the other wears the present day ceremonial uniform worn by troops of the battalion. Between the two soldiers are embossed the garud badge representing the Brigade of the Guards and immediately below it is printed the symbol of a BMP infantry combat vehicle (ICY) representing the main equipment and also the badge of the Mechanised Infantry Regiment.