Pune, April 26: India’s indigenous armoured vehicle development programme moved forward with the flag-off of Vikram VT 21’s wheeled combat platform for field trials in Pune. The platform is part of a broader armoured systems project involving DRDO, Bharat Forge, Tata Advanced Systems and MSME partners.
The Vikram VT 21 programme comprises two systems — Advanced Armoured Platform-Wheeled and Advanced Armoured Platform-Tracked — designed to meet evolving operational requirements of the Indian Armed Forces. The wheeled variant has already cleared the Technical Evaluation Committee process for WH-AFV and FICV categories under the Ministry of Defence.
Addressing the gathering, Dr. Samir V. Kamat noted that this project is testament to the effectiveness of the Development Cum Production Partner (DCPP) model, in bringing together DRDO’s expertise and industry partners’ scale, to leapfrog platform design and development.
Mr. Amit Kalyani, VC & JMD of Bharat Forge Ltd, highlighted that the Vikram is a feat of systems engineering that brings together a ruggedised vehicle chassis and unmanned turret.
The programme also reflects India’s push for self-reliance in land systems and future-ready combat mobility platforms.
