Pune, April 26: Defence manufacturing major Bharat Forge and DRDO have flagged off the Vikram VT 21 Advanced Armoured Platform-Wheeled (AAP-Wh) for field trials, advancing a domestically developed combat vehicle programme with potential opportunities in Indian defence procurement and exports.
The Vikram VT 21 project includes two variants — wheeled (AAP-Wh) and tracked (AAP-Tr) platforms — co-created by VRDE (DRDO), Bharat Forge, Tata Advanced Systems Limited and supported by MSMEs. The platform has also cleared the Technical Evaluation Committee (TEC) for WH-AFV and FICV of the Ministry of Defence.
Addressing the gathering, Dr. Samir V. Kamat noted that this project is testament to the effectiveness of the Development Cum Production Partner (DCPP) model, in bringing together DRDO’s expertise and industry partners’ scale, to leapfrog platform design and development.
Mr. Amit Kalyani, VC & JMD of Bharat Forge Ltd, highlighted that the Vikram is a feat of systems engineering that brings together a ruggedised vehicle chassis and unmanned turret.
The company said the platform moved from concept to combat-ready in under three years through continuous engagement and joint problem-solving, underscoring faster execution timelines in India’s defence manufacturing ecosystem.