Beekeeping is the maintenance of honey bee colonies, commonly in man-made hives, mainly for their honey. Among all the equipment that the beekeeper or apiarist uses, the most important one is the sting-proof suit (bee suit), as it prevents the beekeeper from getting stung. Unfortunately, little has changed in the design of the bee suit since the 1800s, especially in the Indian scenario.

In developed countries, beekeeper’s clothing and accessories are available in a variety of fabrics and garment styles to meet the diverse requirements and circumstances related to handling bees. In India, however, due to a lack of availability of protective clothing, beekeepers are suffering from the sting of bees physically as well as psychologically. A survey conducted by IIT Delhi shows that presently, beekeepers in India are using mainly their personal conventional clothes, like conventional pants and shirts, kurta pyjamas, simple shoes and socks, and a bee veil, in their profession. They have no or insufficient special clothing to fulfil their professional needs.