MoD orders 1300 Light Specialist Vehicles from Mahindra Defence Systems

The Light Specialist Vehicle is a modern fighting vehicle and will be assigned to various fighting units for carrying medium machine guns, automatic grenade launchers as well as anti-tank guided missiles.

In a major boost to the government ambitions 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' initiative, the Defence Ministry on Monday inked a deal worth Rs 1,056 crore with Mahindra Defence Systems Limited for the supply of 1,300 Light Specialist Vehicles to the Indian Army.

The vehicles would be inducted into the Indian Army in four years.

The Light Specialist Vehicle is a modern fighting vehicle and will be assigned to various fighting units for carrying medium machine guns, automatic grenade launchers as well as anti-tank guided missiles.

Designed and developed by MDSL, the combat vehicles are extremely agile with all-round protection against small arms fire and assist small independent detachments that are required to operate this weapon platform in the operational area, the defence ministry said in a statement.

On March 19, the ministry had also signed a contract of Rs 1,188 crore with Defence Public Sector Unit Bharat Dynamics Limited for the supply of 4,960 MILAN-2T anti-tank guided missiles for the Indian Army.

The missiles would be inducted into the Indian Army in three years.

In the backdrop of border tensions with China, India is ramping up its defence equipment and weaponry arsenal. 

As per the government data till January this year, the ministry had signed over 180 contracts valued at over Rs 1.96 lakh crore with the Indian industry since 2014 while a few are in the pipeline to be signed in the time to come.