The army has started modernising its infantry units following allocation of Rs 3,000 crore (Rs 30 billion) from the Centre, according to Director General of Infantry Lieutenant General K Nagaraj.

Most of the new equipment is being introduced in Jammu and Kashmir, where "the bulk of infantry" is deployed, General Nagaraj said.

The process will be completed in two or three years, he added.

The general said the focus is on four areas: firepower, communication, reconnaissance and mobility.

New equipment like thermal imagers, night vision equipment and unmanned are playing "a very, very significant role in augmenting LoC (Line of Control) surveillance," he said.

Among the things being bought are NBC (nuclear-biological-chemical) suits. "The environment in which we are today is an NBC environment," General Nagaraj said.

Also, the government is not depending on one country for all the purchases, he said, adding a Rs 200 crore (Rs 2 billion) deal is being worked out with the United States.