A recent YouTube video by CZ DEFENCE, showed an 8x8 Tatra truck being manufactured. But what caught everyone's attention was the armoured cabin on the truck. According to a post on X by Daniel of Bohemia, the armoured cabin was developed by Tatra Defence Vehicle and the truck, known as PRAM, is being manufactured for the Czech Army.

The PRAM is based on the T815-7 platform - heavy-duty, four-axle military vehicles equipped with highly armoured four-door cabs produced in Kopřivnice. PRAM provides NATO-certified ballistic and mine protection. The trucks operated by the Czech Army are third-generation Tatra trucks.

Interestingly, Tatra trucks are also the main workhorses of the Indian Army. The Army operates a wide range of Tatra trucks, including 4x4, 6x6, 8x8 and 12x12 variants. These trucks are manufactured in India in collaboration with BEML. However, the Tatra trucks currently operated by the Indian Army are first-generation platforms.

These High Mobility Vehicles (HMVs) were earlier produced at Tatra India plants in Hosur, Tamil Nadu, and at the Palakkad complex in Kerala. BEML signed an agreement with Omnipol in 1986. Omnipol was a state-owned foreign trade enterprise of the erstwhile Czechoslovakia.

Under this agreement, Omnipol supplied fully built and Semi-Knocked-Down (SKD) kits of highly specialised, multi-terrain Tatra trucks to India. BEML locally assembled these heavy-duty vehicles to fulfil the Indian Army’s strategic transportation and logistics requirements.

After the dissolution of Czechoslovakia, BEML began procuring the same trucks through Tatra Sipox UK from 1992 onwards. This later led to controversy, as defence procurement rules mandated purchases directly from manufacturers, while Tatra Sipox was a London-based trading company.

The procurement process faced its first major hurdle in 2003 when the Equipment Branch raised several objections. However, these objections were dropped after two months. BEML had also signed a joint venture agreement with Tatra and Vectra Limited, a venture linked to Ravi Rishi, a non-resident Indian businessman and chairman of the Vectra Group, based in Richmond, United Kingdom.

According to a report by NDTV, the procurement of Tatra trucks was approved by General Deepak Kapoor, then Chief of the Army Staff, in February 2010. However, discrepancies in the order raised concerns. It was during this period that the then Army Chief, General V. K. Singh began questioning whether better and cheaper vehicles could be procured from other firms instead of continuing BEML’s monopoly.

A 4x4 Tatra truck, for example, reportedly cost between ₹40–50 lakh in Europe, but was sold to the Indian Army by BEML at nearly double the price. Meanwhile, comparable trucks from Ashok Leyland and Tata Motors were available for around ₹16–18 lakh.

General V.K. Singh would later allege that he had been offered a ₹14-crore bribe by a lobbyist connected to a truck supplier. According to him, the Army had been flooded for more than two decades with nearly 7,000 overpriced vehicles that performed poorly in service. Despite the controversy, Tatra, which supplied the trucks to the Army through BEML, was never blacklisted.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) subsequently filed a chargesheet against retired Lieutenant General Tejinder Singh over the alleged bribery case. The CBI also launched investigations into Ravi Rishi, BEML executives and defence officials for alleged criminal conspiracy and cheating. However, in 2014, the CBI filed a closure report citing lack of evidence. The trial court later refused to accept the closure report and sharply criticised both the CBI and the Ministry of Defence for their handling of the case.

On August 14, 2020, the Ministry of Defence suspended all business dealings with Vectra Motors for one year, and the suspension continues even today. The Indian Army has since started inducting trucks from Tata Motors and Ashok Leyland. However, the bulk of its logistics fleet still consists of Tatra vehicles.

With the changing nature of warfare, trucks with armoured cabs are increasingly becoming a necessity. Modern battlefields are highly vulnerable to artillery fragments, drone attacks, ambushes and mine blasts, making crew protection essential even for logistics vehicles operating near the frontlines.

Not only should BEML begin supplying Tatra trucks with armoured cabins, but Tata Motors and Ashok Leyland should also develop and supply similarly protected military logistics vehicles for the Indian Army.

Chakra Desk

Chakra News is a specialised digital media platform committed to in-depth coverage of India’s defence, national security, geopolitics, and critical technologies.