New Delhi/Gwalior, March 28 (IANS) Adani Defence & Aerospace, a leading player in India’s aerospace and defence, has delivered 2,000 indigenously manufactured 'Prahar' Light Machine Guns (LMGs) 7.62 mm to the Indian Army, marking a significant milestone in India’s small arms manufacturing capability, it was announced on Saturday.

Looking ahead, the Gwalior facility is also geared to manufacture close quarter battle (CQB) weapons for the Indian Armed Forces, further expanding India’s indigenous small arms capability.

The historic delivery of the first batch of LMGs was completed in seven months, 11 months ahead of the contracted schedule.

The First-of-Production Model (FOPM) was realised in six months against a stipulated 18-month development timeline. Bulk Production Clearance (BPC) followed, enabling a rapid transition to full-scale manufacturing.

The event was attended by A. Anbarasu, DG Acquisition & Additional Secretary, Ministry of Defence, and senior officials of the Indian Armed Forces.

Manufactured at the Adani Defence’s Small Arms Facility in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, India’s first fully integrated private-sector small arms manufacturing hub, the Prahar LMG significantly reduces reliance on imported infantry weapons and strengthening defence self-reliance.

Spread across 100 acres, the facility integrates barrel manufacturing, bolt carrier and receiver fabrication, advanced computer numerical control (CNC) machining, robotics, surface treatment, precision metrology, a metallurgy laboratory and a 25-metre underground firing range.

Each weapon undergoes lifecycle testing, ballistic assessment and environmental trials before deployment, ensuring adherence to the operational and reliability standards required by the Indian Armed Forces.

Designed for scale, the Gwalior facility has an annual production capacity of up to 100,000 weapons, with more than 90 per cent domestic sourcing. The facility is contributing to a broader industrial ecosystem in MP by generating skilled employment and supporting micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) across the supply chain.

The manufacturing capability is also supported by Adani Defence’s ammunition complex in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh (UP), commissioned in 2024. The facility has an annual capacity of around 300 million rounds of small caliber ammunition, with plans to expand its capabilities to manufacture large and medium caliber ammunition, strengthening the integrated weapons and ammunition ecosystem.

This integrated approach across design, manufacturing and supply chains enhances resilience, improves execution timelines and supports long-term self-reliance in defence production.

--IAN

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