Bharat Forge will make armoured vehicles in India in partnership with South African company Paramount Group.
The two companies signed the pact on the sidelines of the ongoing International Defence Expo (IDEX 2021) in Abu Dhabi on February 22.
The agreement will see the production of Kalyani M4 a multi-role platform, designed to meet the specific requirements of armed forces for quick mobility in rough terrain and in areas affected by mine and IED threats.
“It is intended that the ‘Kalyani M4’ will see service with the Indian armed forces in the very near future. The Kalyani M4 successfully completed a series of extreme vehicle trials in some of the toughest environments,” a statement from the two companies said.
Bharat Forge further claimed that the Kalyani M4 offered the best in-class levels of ballistic and blast protection – up to 50kg TNT side blast or IED/roadside bombs due to its innovative design, built on a flat-floor monocoque hull.
Formed in 1994 the Paramount Group is a global aerospace and technology company with manufacturing operations across Africa, Asia and the Middle East. It has been producing a broad range of advanced armoured and mine-protected vehicles.
Amit Kalyani, Deputy Managing Director, Bharat Forge said, “This collaboration brings together the manufacturing and technology excellence of two leading companies, which have matching synergies and complementary capabilities. The Kalyani M4 is a new generation vehicle and we want to position it as the ‘future of protection’ in all markets world-wide.”
The Kalyani M4 is based on one of Paramount Group’s flagship armoured vehicles, Mbombe 4, designed specifically for in-country production in India.
