Police in India's Western state of Gujarat will wear new uniforms impregnated with the fragrance of flowers and citrus to help improve their image.
"Most policemen look hassled, drenched in sweat after coming from any scene of crime," said Somesh Singh, a designer at the National Institute ofDesign in Ahmedabad that drew up the uniforms on request of the state government.
"They are surely not the best person one would like to meet but if they smell good and fresh one might as well approach them," said Singh.
The uniforms, to be introduced in the next few months to the state's 300,000 police, use cotton with a fragrant finish.
The uniforms also use reflective prints and fibre optic technology so they glow at night, allowing police to be easily located.
The uniforms will retain the scent even after washing as the fragrance is embedded in the cotton during processing.
