Ever since the lockdown was lifted, photographs and videos have been doing the rounds of people rushing to catch a bus or a train to get to work, fearing that it may be their last day. Tens of thousands of people, despite Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s appeal, have been told that their services to the organization they work for are no longer required.
This has led to a large amount of unemployment during the lockdown. Ram Singh Rathor of Shield Armoring, a Mumbai-based company that makes armoured vehicles says that with the market not recovering anytime soon, and nobody recruiting, people who are unemployed may resort to crime to feed their families.
“I hope and pray that it doesn’t happen, but statistics show that lack of jobs and opportunities make people desperate. This is why a number of top management in companies have started looking at protecting themselves and their families by getting an armoured car,” he added.
The idea is not to get an armoured vehicle that has the same standards of a car that is used by the Prime Minister of India, but rather something that can withstand heavy blows from basic weapons like sticks and stones, Rathore added. “This added security will cost them a certain fee, but it is a competitive amount that they can afford. More importantly, security will make the car owner breathe easy when it comes to protecting a loved one.”
Currently, perception is that top political brass, leading industrialists, and celebrities are the ones who have heavily guarded vehicles that are armoured to prevent any attack, but Rathor’s explanation shows that an armoured vehicle can be used by most people who can afford a mid-level vehicle.
Citing an example, Rathor said Shield Armoring has been protecting many vehicles for several years now and have even received praise from the Telanagana government, after one of its ministers escaped unscratched after his vehicle turned turtle. “This incident prompted the Telangana government to order a supply of bulletproof vehicles from us,” said Rathor.
The company is one of the country’s largest car armouring companies. With a 45,000 square feet manufacturing unit in Maharashtra’s Ahmednagar district.
Besides India, the company also caters to international clients and builds bulletproof vehicles as per industry standards and is a showcase of production efficiency.
Rathor has witnessed a trend in the demand for bulletproof vehicles. According to an October 2019 article in Bloomberg, an estimated 200,000 to 300,000 armored vehicles circulate on streets worldwide, with Brazil leading with the highest per capita number of armored vehicles in the world. Sâo Paolo alone currently receives 800 armoured vehicles a month. “While brands such as Audi, BMW, and Land Rover already offer in-house bulletproofing options, it’s the rise of sales by the many private providers across the U.S. that indicates the real profits to be made. No comprehensive data exist for the industry at large, but interviews with many of them have set market growth expectations near double digits, year-over-year, for the foreseeable future,” the article adds.
The mission of Shield India Armoring is to manufacture and produce bespoke quality armoured vehicles which are designed keeping in mind its usability under combat situations and hence we work on maximum survivability and mobility of each armoured vehicle. “Shield invests a lot of time on cutting-edge armouring technologies and vehicle concept research and development too. We want our armored vehicles to provide maximum security under any circumstance. We work rigorously on improving armouring capabilities to enhance the safety standards of our vehicles. We want our vehicle to protect those whose job is to be in the front line. We want to provide 360-degree security solutions and hence are continually working on developing our range of products and services,” said Rathor, adding that the company has the vision to provide 360-degree security solutions. We are continually evolving and developing our security features, which include value-added service for all our customers and clients, provide cutting-edge technologies, do system integration, as well as, produce seamless military capabilities.
Safety also a concern
Now that Unlock 1.0 has been implemented just before the onset of the monsoons, it is highly likely that many cars will be venturing out during the rains from home to work every day. Adding a bullet proof cover to your vehicle will ensure minimum damage.
Rathor believes that bullet proofing your vehicles is going to be a norm soon and he hopes to cash in on this trend. “Yes, we do provide bulletproof vehicles for top government officials, as well as people in the military, as well as top industrialists, but we will be seeing a rise in private vehicle owners also giving their vehicles that extra security,” he said.
Rathor is positive about the future. “I can see a number of private car owners looking for added security for several reasons, including protecting their cars from a tree fall. It will be added insurance for them as well,” he signs off.
To know more about Shield Armoring, click here
