New Delhi: The Indian Army has, for the first time, executed a capital procurement contract through Government e-Marketplace (GeM), a digital public procurement platform operated by the Union commerce and industry ministry. The contract, signed with JCB India Ltd, covers the supply of 93 telescopic handlers at a total cost of ₹25.90 crore under the Buy (Indian) category.
Telescopic handlers – also known as telehandlers – are versatile, rough-terrain lifting machines widely used in logistics, construction, and military supply operations. Their ability to manoeuvre in difficult terrain makes them particularly suited to Army requirements in forward and high-altitude areas.
The procurement marks a notable procedural shift. Capital purchases by the defence services have traditionally moved through dedicated defence acquisition channels, which, while thorough, are known for extended timelines. Using the GeM portal for a capital buy of this nature is an attempt to compress those timelines without compromising the procedural safeguards built into defence procurement rules.
The GeM portal, launched in 2016, was initially designed for routine government purchases of goods and services. Its use for capital defence procurement – a category involving heavier financial outlay and strategic consideration – represents a meaningful expansion of the platform's scope.
The contract also fits within the broader policy push toward self-reliance in defence manufacturing, branded by the government as Aatmanirbhar Bharat. JCB India Ltd, a subsidiary of the British machinery giant JCB, manufactures telehandlers domestically. Procuring from an Indian manufacturer under the Buy (Indian) category is consistent with the government's effort to reduce import dependence in defence and support domestic industry participation in military supply chains.
The Army has indicated that this procurement is expected to set a precedent for similar capital purchases through GeM in the future, potentially accelerating the acquisition of non-combat support equipment across the services.
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