Demand for bulletproof cars has gone up in India ahead of the Indian general elections.
The increasing terror attacks have now forced the political leaders to seek shelter behind bullet proof cars.
The bulletproof vehicle makers are cashing in on the fear among the politicians. They are making a good business ahead of the general elections. The makers are expecting a double increase in their business this year.
The Sobtis in Jalandhar are armouring cars of the politicians in their Laggar Industries” workshop. This year comparatively they are armouring more cars than the last elections. Some cars have already been delivered whereas some are still under the process of getting armored in the workshop.
“In the last elections, we armored around 6-7 cars whereas this year we have done 10 of them. There is an increase. As more and more people are getting to know about thesebulletproof cars, the demands are increasing,” said Sanchit Sobti, Owner, Sobti Steels, Jalandhar.
The vehicles initially were mainly Government Ambassadors but gradually gave way to more expensive models like Mitsubishi Pajeros, Scorpios, Monteros and Land cruisers.
Before a car gets armored, one needs to take permission from the Intelligence Bureau. Although getting a vehicle armored is quite costly but for the politicians the prices are affordable. Mostly the politicians belonging to the states slightly prone to political violence demand for thesebulletproof cars.
“The demands are mostly from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jammu and Kashmir, Andhra Pradesh, Punjab and Chattisgarh. These are the main states from where we have received cars. The political backgrounds of these states are comparatively strong. Therefore demands would be more from such states,” Sobti added.
The armouring process itself is no mean task. It involves ripping up a vehicle, down to the undercarriage, and rebuilding it after armouring it with steel plates. Bulletproofing a vehicle can take two-three months.

In New Delhi Auto show 09,  the automobile fair is hosting armoured cars; battered models of Pajero and Ambassador showcased to woo the armed forces, police personnel and politicians.

Chanakya Automobiles (India) Pvt Ltd, the lone armoured-car company at the Auto Expo, is trying to break the hegemony of state–run Medak Ordnance Factory. The company claims to be India’s only private manufacturer in this category after it was certified by the Bureau of Police Research and Development in 2008 to produce armoured vehicles to VVIP-specified levels.

But the title of a sole customised armoured vehicle maker would be more apt other there are other players taking a shot at the booming defence market. Last September, a division of Kanpur-based Shri Lakshmi Cotsyn launched armored vehicles. Shri Lakshmi’s models were indigenous unlike Chanakya’s customised versions.

Commercial vehicle giant Tata Motors also entered the production of armoured vehicles for Indian and global military markets with armoured Safaris and light-armoured troop carriers last year. Chanakya admits that the armoured vehicle market is riddled with fringe players and is bound to see the entry of more big players. But for now, it is hoping to reap the first-mover advantage in a terror-racked country.

The company caters to big vehicles like SUVs or buses, as only heavy-engined models can carry the added 1,000 kgs of an armour plate. The company claims that its steel cocooned within a vehicle’s body as well as the special glass are designed to resist bullets from 9mm pistols to Nato assault rifles. And its ‘run-flat’ tyres can run for 50 kms at 50 km/hr even after fired from close range, it added.

Though a late entrant, Chanakya thinks it has two advantages over its state-run rival. The Ordnance Factory, it claims, has a longer delivery time, taking up to 16-24 months. “They are also rigid in catering to customer requirements,” says Chanakya technical director Badri Krishnamoorthy.

The Factory’s vehicles are “a take it or leave it product”, according to Mr Krishnamoorthy. “Politicians may not compromise on safety, but neither do they on comfort.”

Thanks to its adaptability, Chanakya has sold 6 vehicles and has 50-odd orders in the pipeline from customers including politicians and business tycoons as well — the company refused to divulge names citing confidentiality agreements. Those may not be dizzy numbers, but the hefty costs involved in transforming a Pajero or a Motero into a battle-hardened model may be one reason.

Injecting steel plates and replacing the glasses with bullet–resistant ones shoot up the cost of a Pajero by Rs 44.5 lakh and an Ambassador by Rs 22 lakh, says Mr Krishnamoorthy. The company justifies the prices pointing to the Swedish steel, the special glass, laser cuts, welding rods and run-flat tyres, all gathered from overseas markets. “The bigger the vehicle, higher the costs,” says Mr Krishnamoorthy, adding that an Ambassador costs less because the glass and steel used are less than in an SUV.

Besides its bullet-resistant feature — Mr Krishnamoorthy says bullet-proof is a layman’s term — the key to the vehicles is their ability to withstand up to two simultaneous grenade explosions in the underside and sides as well as overhead airbursts.

“As terrorists get richer, they will employ better bullets. Of course, that requires a higher level of protection and we are ready for that,” says Mr Krishnamoorthy.

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