How Made-In-India Defense Vehicles Have Evolved

India parades proudly, offering a glimpse of its defense vehicles on the 26th of January. Here are some of the defense vehicles we own and how they have evolved through the years.

Indian automakers like Mahindra & Tata Motors now dominate the military vehicle market. Previously, Jonga was the vehicle made in India that served in the armed services. The 1969 Nissan Patrol P60 & 4W73 (Nissan Carrier) were the forerunners of this model. The last Jongas were built in Jabalpur in 1999, but as of 2013, there were still 20,000 in use. If you want to know how people carriers and fighting vehicles developed in India between then and now, or how the country possesses a separate jet fighter & battle tank, read on!

Transport vehicles with practical uses

The Maruti Gypsy is the most well-known model of them. The Gypsy has been manufactured by Maruti Suzuki's Gurugram facility since 1985 (now solely serving the Indian Armed Forces), and it is based on the extended wheelbase variant of the Suzuki Jimny SJ40/410. The Mahindra 550 DXB, a follow-up to the MM540 Jeep that succeeded the Jonga as it was phased out in 1999, and the Gypsy are both still in use.

Storme will take the place of Gypsy as tata safari's go-to vehicle

The Tata Sumo & the upcoming Tata Safari Storme, which will replace the Gypsy, are only two of the many defense vehicles manufactured by Tata Motors. Mahindra also supplies the military with armored versions of the Mahindra Scorpio. The Indian Army also operates a wide variety of all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), including the Arctic Cat Alterra TBX 700, Polaris Sportsman 6x6, ATV, Polaris Ranger, & Polaris MRZR, among others.

Armed vehicle

New information has emerged on this front. New fighting vehicles were supplied to the Indian Army in Ladakh this past July. These Indian-built Quick Reaction Fighting Vehicles (QRFV) are touted as being more nimble and capable of operating in more precarious environments. When Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL) began producing and delivering wheeled armored combat-ready cars for the Indian armed forces in April of this year, it was a historic first for the Indian defense environment.

Tata Military Trucks

The 88 Wheeled Armoured Platform (WhAP) is the foundation upon which TASL and the Vehicles Research & Development Establishment (VRDE) of the Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) have constructed the military mobility vehicle. The Amphibious Infantry Combat Vehicle (Wheeled) developed by TASL is India's first indigenously developed military vehicle. It is based on the WhAP 8x8.

Mahindra Marksman

Mahindra Marksman is a popular light combat vehicle since it is a small, bulletproof car that can carry up to six people. The vehicle can withstand attacks from both handguns and grenades. The Marksman has been mainly deployed in Kashmir to combat terrorism. The Marksman may also be spotted in Delhi and Mumbai, where he is stationed at high-security zones.

The Casspir, OFB Aditya, Mahindra Straton Plus, Mahindra Rakshak, and other Indian-made military vehicles are only a few of the many in use today. The length of the made-in-India vehicle lineup will grow significantly as a result of the development and manufacturing capabilities of indigenous manufacturers.