On Wednesday (January 4), Minister of State for Defence Shripad Naik handed over the 1 lakh Bullet Proof Jacket (BPJ) to Army Chief General M M Naravane at a ceremony in New Delhi, the Defence Ministry said in a statement.
Naik said the government will ensure that “the best of weapons and protective armour” are provided to the soldiers and the Modi government places high emphasis on the operational safety of soldiers and it has honoured its commitment of protecting their “precious lives” while fighting the enemy.
Naik assured that “the government will ensure that our soldiers will be provided with the best of weapons and protective armour and such requirements will always remain uppermost in priority”.
He also singled out and appreciated SMPP Pvt Ltd who had manufactured the BPJ and more importantly the company fulfiled the order of the first one lakh BPJs four months ahead of the delivery schedule.
The minister called the induction of these BPJ as a significant moment because it is an indigenous product manufactured under the ‘Make in India’ initiative. Also, the company is exporting the product all over the world and working towards making India a global hub for the supply of such defence items.
The minister said that he is very happy that the BPJ has been appreciated by Indian soldiers who are using them on the borders and in countering insurgency.