Private Defense Firms Urge Rule Revision on Ammo Procurement Limits

Quick Summary

• Private defense manufacturers have urged the Defence Ministry (MoD) to amend the Defence Procurement Manual (DPM), which currently limits ammunition supply exclusively to public sector manufacturers.
• Proposed amendments involve issuing open Requests For Proposals (RFP) to both public and private sectors, boosting India’s indigenous ammunition industry as part of the “Make In India” initiative.
• Adani Defence & Aerospace manufacturing facility in Kanpur is producing 150 million rounds of various calibres, including those for Insas rifles, AK-series rifles, sniper rifles, pistols, and machine guns.
• The facility has a total capacity of producing 300 million rounds annually and aims for complete indigenisation by building domestic propellant capacities-reducing reliance on imports from Europe and the U.S.
• CEO Ashish Rajvanshi stated that their products are NATO-certified with exports already underway to four countries approved by the External Affairs Ministry and MoD. Additionally, Adani Defence has supplied ammunition within india through government bidding portals like GEM.
• Recent data highlights India’s growing defence exports-from ₹686 crore in 2013-14 to ₹23,622 crore in 2024-25-amid reforms led by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.

Indian Opinion Analysis

The request by private defence manufacturers underscores India’s notable strides toward self-reliance in key strategic areas such as arms production under initiatives like “Make In India.” Allowing both public and private entities equal access to supply contracts could stimulate competition while enhancing efficiency across supply chains-a critical step toward achieving technological ascendancy within its Armed Forces framework.

Adani’s demonstrated capabilities reflect robust potential among private players to lessen dependence on foreign imports amidst global disruptions while maintaining international quality standards such as NATO certification. However, integrating such large-scale changes into procurement policies comes with oversight challenges that would need stringent checks for compliance with national security protocols.

Additionally, surging defence export figures spotlight India’s emerging position globally as an arms supplier-a development tied closely with MoD-led reforms aiming at transforming military readiness through technological innovation by 2025. Balancing these aspirations domestically between state-run entities and private-sector ambitions remains pivotal for long-term strategy execution.

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