Professor Shantanu Bhowmick

KOLKATA: A bullet-proof jacket designed by Bengali scientist Professor Shantanu Bhowmick has finally received the government's approval.

The empowered committee of the Ministry of Defence approved the jacket, which is made from indigenous ultra modern lightweight thermoplastic technology. It will be included in the Prime Minister's 'Make in India' project. The task of manufacturing the jackets will begin after the PMO gives it the green-light.

A joint collaboration between the DRDO and defence ministry, this is the first time in 70 years that the Indian Army will have bullet-proof jacket manufactured completely through indigenous technology.

Currently, India spends Rs 1.5 lakh on a single jacket used by the military and para-military forces. These jackets are imported from America. Dr Bhowmick's jacket will cost only Rs 50,000 per jacket. That means India will save Rs 20,000 crores every year.

The present bullet proof jackets being used by our jawans in the Army, BSF, CRPF and Police are heavy, weighing anywhere between 15-18 kgs. These new light weight jackets weigh 6-8 times less at just 1.5 kg. It has 20 layers and the carbon fiber in it will enable the jacket to work in 57 degrees Celsius also.

Professor Shantanu Bhowmick is the departmental head of aerospace engineering in Coimbatore's Amrita University. He has high hopes for his new invention and expressed his happiness at getting the official nod for the project. He thanked former Deputy Chief of Army Staff Lt Gen Subrata Saha , who had taken the initiative and encouraged Bhowmick. The professor dedicated his invention to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose .

Read this story in Bengali

