Chandigarh: Politicians are lining up for armoured vehicles this election season, with the major demand for bulletproof cars coming from Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Jharkhand, according to a firm in the business.
A leading Punjab-based firm engaged in “up-armouring” or retrofitting vehicles to make them bulletproof and mine-protected has seen a spike in the orders over the past several months. Sunchit Sobti, director of Laggar Industries, said they have got orders from politicians for “up-armoured vehicles” ahead of the general election. “Those who place orders for these vehicles want protection.”
Not only politicians, but businessman and builders are also keen on having such vehicles, Sobti said. The orders for specialised armoured vehicles have come from Bihar, UP, Jharkhand, Haryana, National Capital Region, Jammu and Kashmir, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra, said Sobti, whose company has been in this business since 1989 when Punjab was facing militancy.
The maximum demand has been for bulletproof vehicles that can withstand the impact of bullets from weapons like AK-47 and light machine guns, said the director of the company located at Nurpur in Jalandhar district. “We have already completed our 90 per cent deliveries,” Sobti said. “Making the kind of armoured vehicles always depends upon the threat level perception of customers.” The cost for each vehicle ranges between Rs 5-40 lakh.
