Mumbai: Reliance Industries has procured the world's most sophisticated armoured vehicle for enhanced personal security of its chairman and managing director.
The fortified Mercedes Benz is mounted on a normal S600. The RIL car has Level-9 vehicle resistance (VR9), the highest available currently. It was customised at Benz's Sindelingen plant in Germany.
Sources said the armoured vehicle was registered at the Mumbai Central Regional Transport Office (RTO).
An email to RIL spokesperson seeking details wasn't answered.
But a source in know said: "As chairman of India's largest private conglomerate, Mukesh Ambani is the custodian of the interests of more than 2.8 million shareholders. He has Z-category security since April 2013. An armoured vehicle complies with advice of the security establishment for protectees of this level."
Demand for super-secure carriages for apex protectees in the world of business, politics and the arts has been surging globally.
Proof? RIL, the source said, had to queue up at No. 57 on the global wait list for the 2015-model armoured S600. This meant a wait of eight months before the car could land in India earlier this week.
The base price of a 2015 model Mercedes Benz S600 is a plebeian Rs 1.5 crore. The rest of the price is accounted for by cost and fitments of Level-9 armour, import duty on the armour and corresponding levies and insurance.
RIL's 2015-model S600 V-9 armoured vehicle is the first in India. Actor Aamir Khan has the 2014 model.
