Maruti Suzuki India Limited delivered 60 Jimny vehicles to the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) on Wednesday, marking the first time these vehicles will be used by India's Central Armed Police Force. The vehicles will be deployed for border patrol operations in Ladakh and Arunachal Pradesh.
The handover ceremony took place at ITBP Headquarters in New Delhi, with ITBP Additional Director General Abdul Ghani Mir and Maruti Suzuki's Senior Executive Officer Partho Banerjee in attendance.
The vehicles will support ITBP personnel operating in high-altitude Himalayan regions where temperatures can drop to -45 degrees Celsius. These areas include glaciers and snow-covered mountains where regular patrolling and troop movement are essential for border security.
Maruti Suzuki has historically supplied vehicles to India's armed forces, with their Gypsy model serving for several decades. The Jimny, which was launched in India in 2023, is designed for off-road capability and extreme weather conditions.
The ITBP, established in 1962 following the Sino-Indian War, is responsible for guarding India's 3,488 km border with China. The force operates in some of the most challenging terrains, ranging from 9,000 to 18,700 feet above sea level.
This acquisition is part of the ongoing modernization of India's border security forces, which has included updates to surveillance equipment, vehicles, and communication systems over the past decade.