New Delhi: The Ministry of Defense signed a contract to manufacture Mahindra Defense Systems armored vehicles for the Indian Army. The Mahindra Defense System is part of Mahindra & Mahindra which manufactures armored tactical vehicles for the Indian Army.
The Ministry of Defense invited several other Indian companies to bid in the open tender. This included the induction of these LSV vehicles into the Army fleet through rigorous tests under varying operating scenarios. The MDS LSV was the only vehicle in the tender that managed to pass all of the tests established by the Indian Army.
The Ministry of Defense had bid to award contracts to companies, where vehicles of several companies were tested in different operating conditions through an open tender. MDS LSV eventually outperformed all other companies and passed every test. In the end, the Ministry of Defense gave it the contract. The MDS LSV is the only vehicle that has passed field, ballistics and technical trials.
The tests conducted by the Indian Army on these vehicles included field, ballistics and technical as well as tests in various fields such as high altitude, desert and plains.
The MDS LSV is fully designed and developed by Mahindra Defense Systems and as such the company has all the necessary IPs and capabilities to provide full support for the vehicle. It is designed around a modular architecture to keep future proof and examine all the parameters required to build the Indian Army.
Mahindra Defense Systems Chairman, SP Shukla said, “This contract truly reflects the success of the Self-Reliant India initiative. It is the first major contract for advanced armored tactical vehicles designed and developed by the private sector in India with intellectual property rights within the country. This contract paves the way for large-scale adoption of Indian platforms with indigenous capabilities. ”
Armored tactical vehicles are required by the Indian Army primarily used for Indian military search operations and arms carrier operations. The contract is worth Rs 1,056 crore and these vehicles are expected to join the Indian Army fleet by 2025.
(With agency inputs)