TATA Motors To Step Into Armoured Vehicles Production
Poised to storm the passenger car segment with its Rs 1-lakh people's car, Tata Motors is readying for more muscular offerings. The company has started a programme for the production of armoured vehicles for Indian and global military markets.
Based on its existing truck and utility vehicle platforms, Tata Motors aims to produce armoured vehicles for troops and personnel transportation. As in any defence production, Tata Motors, too, is keeping the programme under wraps, including numbers and investments.
But, sources say that, as an existing supplier of trucks for the military, Tata Motors' entry into the armoured vehicle segment was a logical move to be part of the Indian government's efforts to broadbase defence procurement from the private sector as also tap the burgeoning demand internationally.
A Tata Motor spokesperson said that a commercial programme for armoured vehicles had been initiated, but it was too premature to disclose the specifics.
Though it could not be confirmed, industry sources indicated that Tata Motors could be working with the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), since future supplies will, in any case, have to be certified by DRDO before firm orders are executed.
Significantly, the DRDO which, till now, only funded public sector enterprise for R&D for defence production, has relaxed norms by setting aside a corpus to fund the private sector as well.
Tata Motors sources said that while significant in-house research has already been done on the armoured vehicle technology, the company�s existing and future truck platforms would be the framework for entering the defence market.
It is likely that the Novus truck, developed by Tata Motors� Korean acquisition � Tata Daewoo Commercial Vehicle Limited (TDCV) � will be developed as an armoured troop carrier. Tata Motors and TDVC are also jointly collaborating to unveil a �global truck� in 2008, which, too, could be extended for the production of armoured vehicles.
Automobile industry sources said that the Tata Motors initiative to extend its presence in military supplies should be viewed against the backdrop of the Indian government�s recent policy initiatives to increase defence procurement from the private sector.
While the shopping bill of the Indian armed forces in 2007-12 is estimated at $100 billion, the government has even allowed 26% foreign direct investment (FDI) in joint ventures for defence production.
Recently, Union defence minister A K Antony urged the Indian private sector to take advantage of the �30% offset clause�, under which any foreign vendor will have to invest 30% of order value for the co-production or purchase agreement with an Indian defence producer.
Pinaka have taken a lot of contribution from the private sector. Larsen and Toubro (L&T) ltd. claim credit for building the 2-axis DC servo drive for the Pinaka while TATA Advanced Materials Ltd. (TAML) have developed launcher tubes and containers for the rockets and missiles. TATA Power's Strategic Electronics Division (SED) also developed the prototype Pinaka launcher which underwent extensive user field trials.
full size mockup of the WM-18 Naval Rocket Launcher, built by L&T. This weapon system is for use aboard Landing Ship Tank (LST) warships to facilitate beach clearing operations. The whole system comprises of port and starboard launchers capable of firing 18 rockets in single launch or salvo mode. The electro-hydraulically operated launchers are slaved to a Director designation sight and controlled from a remote console. A two axis servo stabilized system compensates for ship roll and pitch motion