India’s first indigenous mini machine gun – ‘9mm Machine Pistol’- manufacturer, Lokesh Machines has set up a new division to manufacture defence and aerospace components in Medchal, Hyderabad. Inaugurating the new unit, the Scientific Adviser to the Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and former Chairman DRDO, G Satheesh Reddy, lauded the company’s commitment towards Atmanirbhar Bharat (Self-Reliant India) and exhorted that the focus should be on exports and establishing a global footprint for the development of small arms.
A Computer Numerical Control (CNC) company manufacturer, Lokesh Machines has successfully developed small arms with the support of the ARDE, a division of DRDO and the Indian Army. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and various armed forces have extensively tested the mini machine guns. The trials have been successful, and they have been recommended for further purchase and exploitation, the company stated in its statement.
Explaining the need to have a defence and aerospace unit, the Director of the company M Srinivas observed that “in these ever-changing geopolitical alignments, with issues at the borders and every nation becoming self-indulgent in times of crisis and holding back critical technologies and supplies during very crucial times, it is essential that a progressive country like India be self-sufficient to face all internal and external threats.”
The company plans to invest over Rs. 100 crores in the first phase to create a greenfield facility at Hyderabad for manufacturing the weapons and accessories. This investment would be further scaled up as and when exports commence. The company is also creating a vendor park around it, thereby developing an ecosystem of vendors and would handhold them for developing precision parts for the small arms. Commercial production is expected to commence soon, according to the statement.
Team BharatShakti
