Indian Army to get 1,300 'Made in India' specialist vehicles worth Rs 1,056 cr

New Delhi, Mar 23: Providing a further boost to ‘Make in India’, the Defence Ministry has signed a contract worth Rs 1,056 crore with Mahindra Defence for 1,300 Light Specialist Vehicles (LSVs) for the Indian Army.

 

In a statement released, the Ministry of Defence "signed a contract with Mahindra Defence Systems Ltd (MDSL) for supply of 1,300 Light Specialist Vehicles to the Indian Army, at a cost of Rs 1,056 crore, in New Delhi on March 22, 2021. The induction of vehicles is planned to be completed in four years."

 

LSV is a modern fighting vehicle and the fighting units of the Indian Army will be using it for the carriage of Medium Machine Guns, Automatic Grenade Launchers and Anti-Tank Guided Missiles, the statement added.

 

 

The vehicle, designed and developed indigenously by Mahindra Defence Systems Limited, is extremely agile and has round protection against small arms fire.

 

The vehicle “will assist small independent detachments which are required to operate this weapon platform in the operational area,” the statement read. The signing of this deal, the government said, will give a major push to the participation of private players in defence manufacturing.

 

 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had recently said that the government will not approach foreign equipment manufacturers for platforms that can be designed, developed and manufactured by players within the country.

 

This order for new vehicles comes just weeks after the Army signed a deal worth Rs 177 crore for around 200 K4 vehicles. The vehicle will meet the Indian Army’s requirement for quick mobility in rough terrain.