DEMAND FOR BULLET-PROOF VEHICLES SOARS

 As industrialists in the country reel under the global economic downturn, at least one sector -- the armouring firms -- is witnessing a boom with the demand for making vehicles bullet-proof rising.

The sector has registered a growth of 40 per cent in recent months, thanks to fear of terror attacks in the wake of 26/11 strikes and elections 2009. "Especially after the Mumbai attacks last year, politicians, film stars and other celebrities are making a beeline to turn their vehicles into bulletproof ones. our business saw a substantial growth in these period," Sanchit Sobti, director of armouring firm Sobti Group, said.

Without disclosing names of politicians, Sobti said that several prominent leaders of different political outfits from across the country have placed orders for armouring their vehicles. "Earlier the vehicles were mainly Ambassador cars but gradually they have given way to more expensive models like Mitsubishi Pajeros, Scorpios, Monteros and Land Cruisers," Sobti said.

"The demands are mostly from politicians hailing from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jammu and Kashmir, Andhra Pradesh, Punjab and Chattisgarh," he said, adding the whole process is costly.