India Opens Missile and Ammunition Production to Private Sector

In a significant step towards enhancing India's defence manufacturing and self-reliance, the Defence Ministry has allowed private manufacturers to develop and produce missiles and ammunition.

The objective is to ensure that India will never run out of firepower in the event of sustained operations and it is yet another step in India's Atmanirbhar Bharat endeavor.

An amendment to the Revenue Procurement Manual (RPM) no longer requires a private firm to obtain a no-objection certificate (NOC) from a state-run Munitions India Limited (MIL) facility to establish its own ammunition unit. This change will let a private manufacturer produce artillery shells (105 mm, 130 mm, 150 mm), Pinaka missiles, 1000-pound bombs, mortar rounds, grenades, small- and medium-calibre ammunition.

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The Defence Ministry has ordered the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) to partner with the private sector for the development and integration of conventional missiles. This decision follows Operation Sindoor which highlighted the growing relevance of long-range and stand-off weapon systems. Historically, long-range and stand-off weapon systems have been manufactured by state-run Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) and Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL).

Experts say that given countries like Pakistan have begun utilizing Chinese long-range missiles, India's ambition to ramp up indigenous production of weapons systems such as BrahMos, Nirbhay, Pralay, and Shaurya is timely. With armed conflict in Europe and rising ammunition demand globally, this shift in strategy enables India's armed forces to ensure a plentiful and affordable supply of ammunition in the next conflict.