Driving demand for bullet-proof cars

Politicians of every hue are going in for bullet- proof cars ahead of the election year

A bullet-proof glass of 30 mm to 40 mm could cost anywhere between Rs 300,000 and Rs 600,000 and the cost of the speciality equipment modification ranges between Rs 10 lakh and over Rs 1 crore. Modern bullet-proof vehicles are capable of withstanding shots from AK-47s and other sophisticated rifles. They can also cover a distance of 50km on flat tyres at a speed of more than 50kmph

The good old bullet-proof vest is no longer a guarantee for protection. Bullet-proof cars are. Politicians of different parties are turning to bullet-proof their vehicles and gearing up for the 2014 elections. In the last six months nearly a dozen politicians went in for bullet-proofing their vehicles. According to a source the number could well be over 20. In June this year the security to BJP leader Kishan Reddy was beefed up and he was given a bullet-proof Ambassador. Two months later, responding to the complaint of TRS leaders that their party chief K Chandrasekhara Rao was facing life threat, the government provided additional security to him. He was provided with a new bullet-proof vehicle in August.

Attack on politicians increase before elections; the recent stone pelting incident in Kerala where the Chief Minister was injured is a case in point. Closer home, ministers from extremist-affected areas were given cars during the TDP regime and several politicians from other parties have been arming themselves their vehicles. The vehicles used for bullet-proofing, anti-grenade and anti-mining are Mercedes Benz, Ambassador, Land Cruiser, Scorpio and other SUVs. Modern bullet-proof vehicles are capable of withstanding shots from AK-47s and other sophisticated rifles. They can also cover a distance of 50km on flat tyres at a speed of more than 50kmph.
According to a survey, over 500 bullet-proof vehicles are made annually in Delhi, Jalandhar, Mumbai and Hyderabad with the annual market for vehicles in the country touching Rs 300 crore.

In Hyderabad Real Car Auto Garage at Jeedimetla and Deccan Engineering Services at Kavadiguda are places where several cars have been bullet proofed. Lagger Group which is in this business since 1989 has supplied bullet-proof cars to the government in the wake of extremism. A senior official at the company said they had also supplied such cars to the Royal Bhutan Army. A worker at Real Car Auto Garage said, “With the Telangana issue and the uncertain political scenario, the demand is only increasing.” Bullet-proof jackets are sold by Coolrok Technologies at Ameerpet. These agencies also do work for the police and are themselves keen on clear regulations in the matter.

The Ordnance factory at Medak makes bullet-proof vehicles but many private players have entered the market offering cheaper rates. Parikh, managing director of Parikh Armoring Company, claims to be manufacturing cars that can withstand bombs. The price of such vehicles depends on the security features and gadgets fitted inside them. We adhere to strict paper work from the government departments.

For those who are keen on using the cars only for a season or in a particular region, ECOS has introduced "Bullet-Proof Car" in the Indian car rental industry. Rajesh Loomba, Managing Director, ECOS India Mobility & Hospitality Pvt. Ltd, says, "There are genuine reasons why travel in bullet-proof automobiles is the only way for so many dignitaries, celebrities, senior executives, professional athletes, and other high-profile individuals.
Perhaps the most important reason is the simple “peace of mind” that comes from having security truly second to none".