Hazira: Larsen & Toubro (L&T) and BAE Systems have begun production of the BvS10 Sindhu, an articulated all-terrain vehicle (ATV) built for the Indian Army, at L&T's Armoured Systems Complex in Hazira.
The Army has ordered 18 vehicles, all troop-carrying variants, under a contract signed in November 2025. The value of the contract was not disclosed.
The Sindhu is a version of BAE Systems Hägglunds' BvS10, adapted for Indian conditions, including high altitudes, deserts, marshlands and amphibious environments.
Deployment in Ladakh and Kutch
The vehicles are scheduled to be deployed in Ladakh for high-altitude operations at 18,000 feet, in snow and extreme winter conditions where temperatures fall to minus 55 degrees Celsius. During trials, the Sindhu worked at altitudes above 18,000 feet (5,486 metres).
On the western front, the ATVs are being deployed in the Kutch region, where they can operate in temperatures up to 55 degrees Celsius. Troops can use them to patrol marshland, desert and the Great Rann.
Technology transfer and local manufacture
L&T is producing the vehicles under a licensing and technology-transfer arrangement. BAE Systems Hägglunds, the creator of the BvS10 series, is providing detailed design and technical guidance.
The contract also includes an integrated logistics package covering deployment, maintenance and life-cycle sustainment. One report said more than 60 per cent of the vehicle’s content would be localized, though the figure has not been confirmed by the companies.
The Indian version is fitted with a 350-horsepower engine with a larger turbocharger. The two companies pitched the BvS10 in September 2023 and competed against Prominent Comtech’s Talwar ATV before being chosen.
What the companies had said when the contract was inked
At the time of the contract, Arun Ramchandani, senior vice-president and head of L&T's Precision Engineering & Systems business, called it “a significant milestone in India's defence landscape” under the Make in India initiative.
Tommy Gustafsson Rask, managing director of BAE Systems Hägglunds, said the vehicle was recognized for “unique mobility and resilience in harsh climates”, qualities the Indian Army had emphasized during trials.
Proven abroad
The BvS10 is in service in Austria, France, the Netherlands, Sweden, Ukraine and the United Kingdom, and is on order for the German Army. India is its first customer in Asia.
