New Delhi, Indian Army chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane visited the Southern Command on Friday and reviewed the engineering research centre and the strategic systems complex of the big private firms engaged in defence manufacturing.

Naravane is on a two-day visit to Southern Command, touching base at Pune and Goa.

During his visit to Pune, the Army chief went to the Tata Motors factory in Pimpri where he took stock of the operations of the assembly lines of passenger and commercial vehicles and the Engineering Research Centre (ERC).

"A range of Tata vehicles, including Xenon, AWD (4x4) Troop Carrier, Light Bullet Proof Vehicle and Combat Support Vehicles, namely Mine Protected Vehicles and Wheeled Armoured Amphibious Platform AWD (8x8) configurations were on display," the Army said in a statement.

Naravane also visited the Strategic Systems Complex (SSC) of Larsen & Toubro at Talegaon near Pune to see their production facilities and developmental efforts towards modernising the armed forces.

He was briefed about various defence related programmes and engagements of Larsen & Toubro with the Indian Army.

He complimented the efforts of both the indigenous manufacturers in promoting the mission 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat' (self-reliant India) in defence manufacturing.

Apart from this, the Army chief would be the chief guest at the golden jubilee celebrations (1971-2021) of the television wing of Film and Television Institute of India (FTII).

He will also be visiting the INS Hansa in Goa on Saturday.