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Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday inaugurated a Medium Caliber Ammunition Manufacturing Facility at Solar Defence & Aerospace Limited in Nagpur, describing it as a significant step towards strengthening India’s self-reliance in defence production. He also flagged off the first tranche of Guided Pinaka rockets for export to Armenia from the company’s manufacturing facility.
Speaking at the inauguration, Singh reiterated the government’s commitment to “Atmanirbharta” in ammunition manufacturing and transforming India into a global defence production hub. He recalled that in the past, ammunition shortages had affected India’s defence preparedness, which prompted the government to prioritise indigenous production.
The newly inaugurated facility is a fully automated plant that will manufacture 30mm ammunition, widely used by the Indian Army and the Indian Navy.
Singh lauded the growing role of the private sector in strengthening India’s defence ecosystem, saying the country is now producing reliable, high-quality ammunition domestically. He referred to the 2021 handover of the indigenously developed Multi-Mode Hand Grenade to the Indian Army as a key milestone in private-sector participation.
Highlighting operational successes, the Minister said that Solar Group’s Nagastra drones were effectively deployed during Operation Sindoor, where they accurately struck terrorist targets. He noted that more advanced variants of the drone are under development and expressed confidence in their future effectiveness.
Singh also referred to the successful test of the ‘Bhargavastra’ Counter Drone System, developed by Solar Defence, as evidence of the technological capabilities of Indian private defence firms.
On exports, he said that the shipment of Guided Pinaka rockets to Armenia marks the beginning of India’s growing role as a defence exporter. “India is no longer just an importer of defence equipment; it is rapidly emerging as an exporter,” he stated.
Describing Operation Sindoor as an example of the importance of self-reliance, Singh said modern warfare is becoming increasingly complex and multidimensional, extending beyond traditional battlefields to areas such as technology, supply chains, trade, and information warfare.
He emphasised that the government aims to increase the private sector’s share in defence manufacturing to 50 per cent or more in the coming years. He added that the government is gradually indigenising platforms, systems, and subsystems, with a minimum 50 per cent indigenous content requirement wherever full domestic production is not yet possible.
Singh said India’s domestic defence production has risen from Rs 46,425 crore in 2014 to approximately Rs 1.51 lakh crore at present, with the private sector contributing over Rs 33,000 crore. Defence exports, which were below Rs 1,000 crore a decade ago, have now reached a record Rs 24,000 crore, he noted.
Concluding his address, the Minister stressed the need for greater synergy between public and private defence companies, calling their combined strength India’s biggest advantage in building a robust defence industrial base.
Team BharatShakti
