New Delhi: India is evaluating the export potential of its High Mobility Vehicles (HMVs) as part of its defence exports to markets in Asia, Africa, and the Indo Pacific. The off-road-capable military and tactical vehicles developed by BEML, a company under India’s defence ministry, can be used for mounting superstructures like radars, missile systems, etc. High Mobility Vehicles (HMVs) in their different variants—4×4, 6×6, 8×8, 10×10, and 12×12—are the operational backbone of the Indian Army, critical for rapid mobility and deployment across deserts, riverine belts, and high-altitude terrain.
Sources told WION that the export potential of the HMVs is part of “India’s expanding defence exports and diplomacy toolkit” and they are “cost competitive, rugged, and simpler to maintain compared to Western peers”. The mobility vehicles have helped both at India’s northern border, where they have helped in the rapid movement of tanks and missiles, and at the western border, where they helped in the quick mobilisation of missile batteries.
India’s key focus, under its Make in India policy, has been mandatory indigenous content and more public-private partnership. BEML’s HMV 6x6 and 8x8 platforms are fully indigenous, with recent orders like the ₹293.81 crore contract (July 2025) for 150 HMV 6x6 units. The bid for export comes as the government targets $5 billion in annual defence exports. Besides, some private companies have supplied HMVs in Africa, which is seen as a major upcoming market.
