Elections 2009 have brought a stimulus package for the exclusive industry of automobile bullet-proofing. Politicians preparing for the campaign long haul have been stopping at workshops to have their vehicles secured from possible attacks by terrorists,Naxals and violent political opponents. TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu,who escaped a landmine explosion in October 2003,is learnt to have had three Tata Safaris entirely bulletproofed including their wheels for his travels across the country from Punjab to Andhra Pradesh. A prominent leader of the Jammu and Kashmir National Conference has had his Mahindra Scorpio similarly armoured. At least five SUVs including Mitsubishi Pajeros,Toyota Land Cruiser Prados and Ford Endeavours belonging to BSP politicians in Uttar Pradesh have been bulletproofed recently. An Endeavour and a Mitsubishi Montero in Punjab,and two Maruti Gypsies in Nagaland all belonging to politicians have been treated similarly. Several leaders from Naxal-hit Chhattisgarh are learnt to be talking to armouring firms. Industry insiders are uncomfortable talking about their clients,especially from bigger parties like the Congress and BJP. But they point out that much of the top leadership of these parties gets armoured vehicles from the state. Most of the big-league leaders have bulletproof vehicles as part of their security cover,and the same vehicle can be used by several politicians. The requests for armouring are coming mainly from not-so-high-profile MPs and MLAs belonging to politically volatile states, said a director of the Jalandhar-based Laggar Industries Ltd,an armouring firm that boasts a clientele from the Royal Bhutan Army to liquor barons and other assorted business tycoons. We began to receive enquiries and orders from politicians at least two months before elections were announced, said the armourer. Some of them wanted up to seven or eight vehicles bulletproofed in time for campaigning. They asked for even the wheels to be bulletproofed,something that can cost Rs 3 lakh-15 lakh depending on the type of vehicle. We are currently working on over a dozen vehicles,and finding it hard to keep pace with the tight deadlines. Shreyas Parikh,who heads the Mumbai-based Parikh Armoring Company that specialises in armouring limousines and has a long celebrity client list,said the demand wasnt limited to the bigger political names. It isnt just the big-time politician who wants high-end security. MPs and MLAs from constituencies tucked deep inside Maharashtra want bulletproof vehicles. They are the ones who face inter-party rivalries,gang wars and the vengeful politics of the grassroots,and feel the most threatened, Parikh said. Armouring a vehicle involves stripping it down to the undercarriage and rebuilding it with thick steel plates,a process that can take 2-3 months. Booming demand and lack of time has meant finding acceptable shortcuts. They want instant bulletproofing at any price,but this isnt something that can be done in a hurry, Parikh said. So instead of bulletproof wheels,I am giving them safety bands for their tyres that prevent a vehicle from skidding for a good 50 km even after it has been hit by a bullet. And instead of bulletproof windows,we are offering quick-fix security films that prevent the glass from shattering after it has been hit. Industry estimates put the spike in demand for bulletproofing as a result of the November 2008 terrorist attacks in Mumbai and the announcement of general elections at nearly 20 per cent. Almost all the demand is concentrated on SUVs,the campaigns preferred vehicles. Bulletproofing an SUV could cost between Rs 9 lakh (for a Safari) and around Rs 20 lakh (for a Land Cruiser Prado). Armouring a Mercedes or a BMW can cost up to half a crore of rupees,10 times what it costs for an Ambassador.
