Apparel Online India Magazine May 2nd Issue 2018 | Page 45

INDIA CANVAS
Indian Army to ‘finally'
get bulletproof jackets;
pact worth Rs. 639 cr.
signed
Nine years since the first demand
was made, the Indian Army has
inked a major contract to procure
1.86 lakh (1,86,138 pcs. to be
precise) bulletproof jackets (BPJs)
from an indigenous manufacturer.
The contract, worth Rs. 639
crore, has been made with SMPP
Private Limited, which specialises
in bulletproof solutions and has
already supplied products to Air
Force, naval commandos and
paramilitary forces. It is pertinent
to mention here that various
vendors applied to provide the
Indian Army with BPJs but failed
to meet the standards comprising
light-weight gear that can protect
head, neck, chest, groin and sides
of the foot-soldiers alongside
offering greater agility.
Under the terms of the contract,
the bulletproof jackets that will
be provided to the Indian Army
will boast of state-of-the-art
specifications along with the
enhanced protection level. The
modularity feature in these jackets
will not only provide protection
to the soldier’s body but will also
enable flexibility. New bulletproof
jackets ensure 360-degree
protection to the soldier during
wartime even from the hard steel
core ammunition.
Furthermore, the procurement of
BPJs has been made under the ‘Buy
Indian’ category of the Defence
Procurement Procedure, giving
a boost to Central Government’s
‘Make In India’ initiative. The
agreement was finalised after
serious concerns over BPJs for the
Army men was raised amidst the
security situation at the border and
in counter-terrorism areas.
The products will even meet the
most stringent standards of the
Indian Army – advanced GSQRs
1438 (technical parameters).
“These bulletproof jackets have
‘Boron Carbide Ceramic’ which is
the lightest material for ballistic
protection,” Dr. S C Kansal, CMD,
SMPP, said. It is expected that
SMPP Private Limited will complete
the delivery of jackets in the coming
three years.
www.apparelresources.com | MAY 16-31, 2018 | Apparel Online India
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