Mahindra Defence Systems opens high-tech facility in Faridabad

Mahindra Defence Systems (MDS), the defence systems unit of utility vehicle maker Mahindra & Mahindra, today inaugurated the Mahindra Special Military Vehicles (MSMV) facility at Prithla in Faridabad, NCR.

The state-of-the-art six acre plant, spread across six acres, has facilities for specific military manufacturing applications.

''I am delighted to inaugurate this state-of-the-art facility, the first of its kind in the private sector," said Anand Mahindra, vice chairman and managing director, Mahindra Group. "Today, the defence space is growing at an exponential rate, creating opportunities for manufacture of world class products. With its technologically advanced manufacturing capability, MSMV will help Mahindra Defence Systems harness the potential in this space.

MSMV will consist of a prototype shop and a shopfloor of 400,00 sq ft for the production of armoured vehicles and a fabrication area. The plant will have a capacity of 500 uparmoured vehicles per year and will roll out uparmoured vehicles such as bulletproof Scorpios, Boleros, the Rakshak, the bulletproof Tourister Bus, Riot Intervention Vehicles and the Marksman light armoured vehicle.

 Brigadier Khutub Hai, chief executive, Mahindra Defence Systems said, ''The Mahindra Special Military Vehicles facility will manufacture specialised vehicles for the armed forces, paramilitary forces and police and is also designed to undertake vehicle development, armouring and conversions. Different lines have been established for different products, ensuring the highest level of quality control and processes."

''Apart from manufacturing, the plant also has an advanced facility for R&D, product development, design and prototyping of special vehicles to meet specific customer requirements, which is another first in the private sector,'' he added.

The second phase of operations will see the AXE high mobility vehicle and the `Mine Protected Vehicle' which is being jointly developed with BAE Systems, being manufactured in a new shed which will be set up in the last quarter of fiscal'10.

MDS is the country's leading provider of up-armoured and bullet-proof vehicles.  In January 2009, Mahindra received approval from the government of India's Foreign Investment Promotion Board to set up a joint venture in India with BAE Systems, the premier global defence and aerospace company, focused on land systems for the Indian market. These solutions will provide greatly enhanced capability for our Indian land forces and open up export markets not previously within our reach.

Mahindra Defence Systems (MDS) is a division of the $6.7 billion Mahindra Group, one of India's leading business houses. MDS is today the country's leading provider of high mobility and light bullet proof vehicles to the armed forces, paramilitary and police forces.