New Delhi: Larsen & Toubro (L&T) has secured a major contract to produce the Indian Army’s new all‑terrain armoured vehicle, the BvS10 Sindhu, at its Armoured Systems Complex (ASC) in Hazira, Gujarat. The deal, viewed as a strategic capability addition for India’s land forces, was announced on November 19, 2025 through a regulatory filing by L&T.
The contract is a joint undertaking between L&T and BAE Systems, with the latter providing technical and design support. BAE Systems Hägglunds, the original developer of the BvS10 platform, brings extensive experience in articulated vehicle technology tailored for operations in extreme conditions. This collaboration underlines India’s continued strategy of technology transfer and co‑development with trusted international partners.
Under the agreement, L&T will indigenously manufacture the BvS10 Sindhu variant in India, marking a key step in enhancing domestic defence industrial capacity. The localisation of production aligns with the ‘Make in India’ and Aatmanirbhar Bharat policies, ensuring both operational sovereignty and local employment generation. L&T’s Hazira complex, which already produces a range of armoured and artillery systems, will serve as the production hub for the programme.
A comprehensive integrated logistics support package forms part of the deal. This includes provisions for initial deployment assistance, field maintenance, spare part supply, and life‑cycle sustainment. Such support ensures that the BvS10 Sindhu fleet remains operationally ready across its full service life, reducing dependency on foreign support and cutting through‑life costs.
The BvS10 Sindhu is an improved and locally tailored version of the BvS10 all‑terrain vehicle already fielded by several NATO countries. It is designed with an articulated twin‑unit configuration, giving it exceptional mobility over snow, ice, sand, marshes, and rugged mountain trails. This articulation grants it superior traction and balance, enabling operations in terrains unsuitable for conventional wheeled or tracked vehicles.
Importantly, the vehicle retains amphibious capabilities, allowing it to cross rivers or flooded regions without specialised support infrastructure. This attribute makes the BvS10 Sindhu especially useful for operations in high‑altitude Himalayan valleys, the desert sectors of Rajasthan, and coastal or riverine environments. The modular construction of the vehicle allows rapid reconfiguration for different mission profiles. It can serve as a troop carrier, command post, medical evacuation platform, logistics vehicle, repair and recovery unit, or weapons‑integrated combat system. This flexibility makes it well‑suited for the Indian Army’s growing emphasis on multi‑role, rapidly deployable platforms. The modular framework also simplifies future upgrades, enabling the integration of newer electronics, weapons, or situational‑awareness systems without extensive redesign.
Globally, the BvS10 has been deployed by the armed forces of the United Kingdom, France, Sweden, the Netherlands, Austria, and Ukraine. Germany has also placed orders for additional units. This extensive operational history gives the platform established credibility in cold‑weather, amphibious, and all‑terrain missions. The Sindhu variant will incorporate modifications specific to Indian operational conditions and environmental demands.
The introduction of the BvS10 Sindhu is expected to significantly expand the Indian Army’s strategic and tactical reach in varied terrains, especially in high‑altitude and border sectors. Its ability to operate with minimal infrastructure enhances troop mobility and logistical support in regions such as Ladakh, Arunachal Pradesh, and the Thar Desert.
Tommy Gustafsson Rask, Managing Director of BAE Systems Hägglunds, noted that the BvS10 platform’s adaptability and resilience make it ideal for India’s diverse climatic and geographic challenges. For the Army, this vehicle will bridge a long‑standing mobility gap across the northern and wetlands theatres.
Beyond the vehicle itself, this project reinforces India’s emphasis on indigenous defence manufacturing supported by international collaboration. The programme confirms L&T’s technical maturity in heavy‑armour production and marks a potential gateway for future exports of India‑built all‑terrain systems. By leveraging proven Western technology and blending it with local production, the BvS10 Sindhu programme symbolises India’s broader strategic ambition—to field a modern, self‑reliant, and globally competitive defence industrial base.
