Defence Ministry opens missile, shell production to private sector

Aatmanirbhar Bharat gets a boost as India needs long range conventional missiles

The Defence Ministry has opened the development and manufacturing of missiles, artillery shells, ammunition and ordnance to private sector so that India does nor run out of fire power in long term hostilities, a move that is also in keeping with India’s push for self-reliance or Atmanirbharta.

The missile sector has been opened to private players as Operation Sindoor has shown that the future belongs to stand-off weapons and long range conventional missiles, the people close to the matter told HT(Representational/Sourced)

While the government is tight-lipped about the move, HT learns that an amendment has been made to Revenue Procurement Manual (RPM) that removes the mandatory requirement for any private entity involved in manufacturing of bombs and ammunition to seek a no-objection certificate (NOC) from state-owned defence company Munitions India Limited (MIL) before setting up an ammunition unit.

This means that the private sector will be allowed to manufacture 105 mm, 130 mm, 150 mm artillery shells, Pinaka missiles, 1000 pound bombs, mortar bombs, hand grenades, and medium and small caliber ammunition, said people familiar with the development, asking not to be named.

Besides, HT learns that the defence ministry has also written to Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) communicating its intent to open up the development and integration of missiles to private sector as firms such as state-owned Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) alone cannot cater to requirement of Indian armed forces.

The missile sector has been opened to private players as Operation Sindoor has shown that the future belongs to stand-off weapons and long range conventional missiles, the people cited above said . BDL and Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) under DRDO are the sole manufacturers of missiles and surface to air missile systems such as Akash, Astra, Konkurs, Milan and also of torpedos.

With Pakistan using long range Chinese air to air and air to surface missiles and rockets during Operation Sindoor, the Modi government’s assessment is that Indian private firms are required to move into conventional missile development with strategic missile development under the sole purview of DRDO. India needs more conventional missiles such as BrahMos, Nirbay, Pralay and Shaurya as future battles will be only fought by stand-off weapons and anti-missile defence as the days of fighter planes are gone with the dawn of over the horizon surface to air missiles, experts say.

This was amply demonstrated by Indian S-400 system taking down a Pakistan ELINT aircraft (either SAAB AEW or Dassault DAC 20 ELINT) 314 kilometers inside Pakistan Punjab at the height of skirmishes during Op Sindoor, on the morning of May 10.

The Defence Ministry has opened both the missile and the ammunition sector to private players as Indian armed forces should not run out of ammunition in case of a long war and be forced to procure them at high premium at a short notice from foreign vendors. With Russia and the West involved in the Ukraine war, and the Middle-East and Israel involved in Gaza war, missiles and ammunitions are in high demand. Pakistan, on the other hand, has a permanent supplier in China for its war effort.