The Joint Venture Protective Carbine (JVPC), also known as Modern Sub Machine Carbine (MSMC) until 2014, is a gas-operated, magazine-fed, select fire carbine designed to chamber the 5.56×30mm MINSAS cartridge. It was designed by the Armament Research and Development Establishment of the Defence Research and Development Organisation, and manufactured by Advanced Weapons and Equipment India Limited and by Kalyani Strategic Systems Limited. It was intended as a replacement for the 9mm Sterling submachine gun in service with the Indian Armed Forces.

The development of the JVPC began in 2010, being an offshoot of the INSAS small arms program. Its trials were commenced in 2016 and completed in 2021. The JVPC cleared the final phase of user trials by the Indian Army. The weapon's accuracy and reliability were tested in extreme hot weather and high-altitude winter conditions, by the Army's user trials.

The JVPC already cleared user trials conducted by the Ministry of Home Affairs and is currently being procured for the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) and State Police Forces in the country.

The development of a carbine was one of the objectives of the Indian Small Arms System (INSAS) programme, which developed the INSAS assault rifle. An INSAS based carbine said to have been developed in early 2000s, but was rejected. The INSAS based carbine was designed to chamber the same 5.56×45mm NATO cartridge used in the INSAS assault rifle and the LMG, hence it had a higher recoil than a carbine of its size should normally have. In 2002, the Indian Army has issued a General Staff Qualitative Requirement (GSQR) for a new submachine carbine with revised specification. In response to the new GSQR, both OFB and ARDE independently developed two carbines – Amogh carbine and MSMC respectively.

Both carbines were designed to chamber much lighter 5.56×30mm MINSAS cartridge. The prototypes underwent a series of trials – first in 2006, then in late 2007 and finally in early 2009. Both of the carbines failed to meet the requirement set by the Army. In 2010, DRDO's ARDE lab and OFB collaborated to iron out the problems with the MSMC design. The redesigned MSMC was now redesignated as Joint Venture Protective Carbine or JVPC. The prototypes of JVPC was offered to the Army for user trials in 2013. Also in this time period an exigency for a carbine has arisen.

The user trials by Indian Army commenced in 2016 and completed by 2021. The JVPC was subjected to accuracy and reliability test at extreme temperature conditions of India. The final user trials were conducted at the sub-zero cold desert of Ladakh.

The JVPC was earlier cleared user trials by CAPF. In 2017, the then-Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh ceremonially accepted a JVPC from the then-Minister of Defence Nirmala Sitharaman, marking its service induction into the CAPF, Paramilitary forces and Police forces under the Ministry of Home affairs. The JVPC is currently being procured for the CAPF.

The AWEIL-made JVPC was displayed in public at the DSEI 2023 convention in the UK.