Increasing insecurity opens new channel for Mahindras

Increasing insecurity and high risk due to terrorist assualts has created a new demand for bullet proof vehicles. It has been only an year s...

Increasing insecurity and high risk due to terrorist assualts has created a new demand for bullet proof vehicles. It has been only an year since Mahindra Defence Systems (MDS), a division of Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd made a foray into supplying bullet proof vehicles by launching Rakshak. But since then company’s order book is continuously ticking from orders from various parts of the country.

A senior official of the company told The Indian Express ‘the company has already delivered 22 Rakshak vehicles to Jammu & Kashmir police and 21 more are currently being bullet proofed for them’. Orissa state police has recently bought two bullet proof Rakshak and three have been supplied to Meghalaya police while Assam Police has ordered for 25 Rakshaks, he informed.

Rising threat of violence has even forced Gujarat police to go for the usage of bullet proof vehicles and company has just entered into talks with the state police. MDS is also negotiating with the army to supply 200 vehicles. Though no orders have been placed yet, the vehicle has passed all the tests, the official said.

Story continues below this ad

Though from the beginning the company has concentrated on defence forces, it is not ignoring the prospects of getting good business from police and paramilitary forces.

The official said that ‘our bullet proofing plans are not limited to Rakshak only. We have already prototyped Bolero and looking at bringing bullet proof Scorpio as well’. For Bolero, the company has approached various state governments for police and VIP movement and it hopes to get there sometime this fiscal.

For bullet proofed Scorpio, it will reach only to VVIPs and has approached Special Protection Group (SPG) which is responsible for Prime Minister’s Security. Mahindra Defence Systems has tied up with an Israeli company Plasan to get latest technology. Though the vehicles are manufactured at Mahindras Nasik plant, the bullet proofing is done at its workshop located in Delhi.

Though the company charges nearly Rs 10-11 lakh additional for bullet proofing of each vehicle, it claims to produce most light weight bullet proof vehicle by using composite material, a mixture of aramid fiber and steel. That’s why our vehicles are lighter in weight in comparison to others which use steel for bullet proofing, claimed the official.

Story continues below this ad

Its not only the police which is going for bullet proof vehicles but increased incidents of assaults on high profile citizens has inspired various individuals also to ride a bullet proof vehilces.

Though the Government rules are not very clear about private customers using such vehicles, Mahindra has done bullet proofing for few high net worth customers in South India after getting clearance from the police.