The Fire & Fury Corps of the Indian Army has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Airbornics Defence & Space Pvt Ltd (ADSL), a company under the JCBL Group, for setting up a New Generation Vehicle (NGV) Repair Hub and Warehouse within the premises of the 14 Corps Zonal Workshop, Leh.
The collaboration is aimed at enhancing the Army’s logistics efficiency and operational readiness by creating a dedicated Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) warehouse and repair facility for New Generation Vehicles inside the Army’s workshop infrastructure in Ladakh.
The MoU signing ceremony was held at the Headquarters of 14 Corps, Leh, under the aegis of Lt Gen Hitesh Bhalla, Corps Commander, 14 Corps. Brig Nipoon Sood, Brig EME, 14 Corps, signed the MoU on behalf of the Indian Army. Senior formation officers, including the General Officers Commanding of the divisions deployed in Ladakh, attended the event.
Representing the JCBL Group were Raj Kumar Pandey, Director & CEO, and Col Rajwinder Singh (Retd), COO. The ceremony also saw participation from representatives of other major defence and industrial organisations, including TASL, BFL, Polaris, JSW, and MDSL.
Through this partnership, JCBL Group (ADSL) will leverage its expertise in defence manufacturing, technical support, training, retro-modification, and R&D to operationalise the NGV Hub framework at Leh. The company will also ensure the availability of fast-moving spares and critical components for vehicles and equipment supplied to the Indian Army, while extending support to the Ordnance and EME channels through its domestic and international operations.
Speaking on the occasion, Lt Gen Hitesh Bhalla, Corps Commander, 14 Corps, stated that the collaboration with the industry will substantially strengthen the operational readiness of 14 Corps. He further emphasised the importance of maximising the utilisation of such industry-led facilities at forward locations in Ladakh, adding that the Indian Army plans to extend similar warehousing and repair hubs to three more forward areas under the Corps’ responsibility.
Commenting on the development, Rishi Aggarwal, Managing Director, JCBL Group, said, “The JCBL Group takes pride in being the Industry Partner of the Indian Army. This fresh collaboration with the Fire and Fury Corps of the Northern Command is very special to the Group since it is the most operationally committed formation of the Defence Forces. We compliment Lt Gen Hitesh Bhalla, Corps Commander, 14 Corps for his exceptional vision of incorporating the Industry at Field Formation Level thereby ensuring a significant amelioration of equipment availability and Operational readiness.”
The initiative underscores the growing synergy between the Indian Army and the domestic defence industry, furthering the government’s vision of self-reliance and indigenisation in the defence sector.