Post terror strike, bullet-proofing biz booms

Chandigarh: Workers busy hammering sheets of toughened steel on to vehicles at a plant in Jalandhar. Last year, the plant was handling orders for a mere dozen cars, but this time, business is up one hundred per cent.

The alarming rise in the number of terror incidents has the security business raking in the money.

Director Laggar Industry, Sunchit Sobti says, "Business is booming now all because of the private sector. People are more interested in protecting themselves and their cars. Earlier we had orders for 10 to 12 cars per month, but now we are expecting orders in the range of 20 to 30 per month. The numbers will increase."

From chief ministers to politicians to businessmen to film stars, they are all now queing up for a bit of protection. But protection doesn't come cheap.

Prices range from Rs 8 lakh for a Scorpio, to a cool Rs 18 lakh for a Mercedes and a whopping Rs 20 lakh for a Toyota land cruiser, Prado.

The customer's details are recorded before any work is undertaken and these are shared with security agencies, though it is not a mandatory proceedure.

In these times of global economic hardships, while most businesses are badly hit, Punjab's bulletproofing and armor plating industry is booming - a direct consequence of the sharp increse in terror attacks.

THE SAD TRUTH

Bulletproofing vehicles may be doing their bit to save VIPs but not the life of the chief of the Mahashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), Hemant Karkare, who was shot dead by terrorists in Mumbai on September 26. Karkare was allocated a bullet proof -Tata Safari, the first one acquired by the Maharashtra ATS in October this year. Karkare used it just once, but ironically he did not use it the night was gunned down by the terrorists.