Tata Motors is amongst the front-runners for the Rs 60,000-crore Futuristic Infantry Combat Vehicle (FICV) programme of the Defence Ministry.

"This $10-billion FICV programme is mobility-oriented and is established by the fact that three of the five core technologies and 19 of the 34 critical technologies are mobility related such as engines, transmission and running gear, which are core to Tata Motors," Vernon Noronha, Vice-President, Defence and Government Business, Tata Motors.

The company is also currently rooting for the Future Ready Combat Vehicle (FRCV) project that will replace the T-72 battle, as well as for the Future Main Battle Tank (FMBT), to replace the India army’s main battle tank, the Russian built T-90.

In addition to this, Tata Motors has also submitted a proposal to supply 3,200 Tata Safari Stormes, as a replacement for the aging and iconic Maruti Gypsy, the order size for which is pegged at about Rs 400 crore.

According to Noronha, "The Tata Safari Storme provides an option of a diesel variant,with a powerful 2.2-litre four-cylinder engine. It also comes with both 4x2 and 4x4 options, which helps the SUV wade through marshy lands, desert, snow, gravel and every kind of terrain in our country."