The Indian Ordnance Factories have been a strategic asset to the nation since their inception. These have performed a pivotal and stellar half and vital function within the nationwide safety structure by evolving, designing and producing a marked selection and lengthy vary of weapons, ammunition, tools, apparatuses, clothings and different safety associated gadgets to help and cordinate the efforts of the armed forces in performing and equipping them within the arduous process of defending our borders, particularly these within the neighborhood of our neighbouring inimical nations. The arms, ammunition and tools in-house manufactured by the Ordnance Factories have for lengthy outfitted the armies of the East India Firm, the British empire and the Indian Republic of their battles in India and the distant battlefields of Europe, Africa, China and different far-flung battle zones. The contribution and progress of the Ordnance Factories have been vital in each civil disturbance, skirmish, battle and conflict. The function of their contribution to the World Wars has been lauded on the highest ranges and has been hailed excessive in any respect boards.
With India making large strides on all fronts and with the emergence of “New India”, the function of Ordnance Factories as suppliers of arms & ammunition to Indian Armed Forces has solely enhanced
Indian Ordnance Factories have been the one organisation on the earth which made your complete vary of ammunitions from 5.56 mm to 155 mm and weapons from the 5.56 mm INSAS rifle to 155 mm x 45 calibre ‘Dhanush’ artillery gun system. At one other degree, the Steel and Metal Manufacturing facility at Ishapore is the world’s largest producer of weapons-grade metal from secondary sources.
The report of Indian Ordnance Factories
(OFs) for indigenisation is much better than the DPSUs. OFs are supplying the engines for T-72 and T-90 Tanks with 100% indigenous content material to Indian Army. Indian Ordnance Factories have constantly displayed an distinctive report and indelible mark of absorbing manufacturing applied sciences from international OEMs. Merchandise and variants of Indian Ordnance Factories have an indigenous content material of 90% of their turnover, the very best in comparison with any DPSUs. With an indigenisation degree of over 97% in ammunition gadgets, Indian Ordnance Factories have nearly negligible dependence on international international locations. Ordnance Factories are a real instance and confirmed precedent of “Aatmnirbhar Bharat”.
Function of OFs
Ordnance Factories have been the harbinger and hub of industrialisation within the nation. These have been the biggest organised manufacturing trade inside the nation on the time of Indian independence. Ordnance Factories have been premier gamers and biggies in forging and foraying novice manufacturing applied sciences into the nation, particularly in particular steels, chemical compounds and explosives.
- OFs are supplying the engines for T-72 and T-90 Tanks with 100% indigenous content material to Indian Army
- Merchandise and variants of Indian Ordnance Factories have an indigenous content material of 90% of their turnover
- Indian Ordnance Factories grew to 41 models from 18 OFs on the time of independence
- Indian Ordnance Factories up to now have parcelled SA 7.62mm MAG HMG to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
- Indian Ordnance Factories up to now have despatched 155 mm ERFB BT Ammn and Primer M 191A2 to the United Arab Emirates
Pre-independence Ordnance Factories targeted extra on manufacturing consumables. Niteithstanding, post-independence, Ordnance Factories have labored in direction of growing functionality in weaponary platforms. From 18 OFs on the time of independence, Indian Ordnance Factories grew to 41 models, together with two tasks, unfold throughout the size and breadth of the nation. Indian Ordnance Factories (popularly often known as Ordnance Manufacturing facility) Boards have retained inner vitality and innovation, particularly the capability to take care of a management and stewardship place in Land Programs Options. On this background, even right now, the Army confides in and depends on Indian Ordnance Factories for assembly their capability of deliverability, notably in occasions of essential and essential wants when it issues most.
Contribution throughout conflict occasions
At any time when our enemies dared assault India from the border, our courageous troopers, utilizing arms and ammunition, weapons and tanks made in Ordnance Factories, retaliated and returned them a befitting and resounding reply. These have labored and carried out from the Thar Deserts to the Himalayan glaciers, from the swampy marshes of the Kutch to the Gangetic Plains. The Valiant and gallant troopers led by glorious navy leaders delivered whereas the Elephant Indian Ordnance Factories backed them with requisite, matching and effectively outfitted Weapons, Mortars, Rockets, and ammunition, whereas the nation did not get them from abroad within the interregnum of the operations.
The rationale of Ordnance Factories stays because the spine and strategic base for the highly effective and emergent India since 1802 AD. The Ordnance factories have ever stood by, supported and strengthened the Indian Armed Forces throughout its making an attempt and urgent occasions of want. In all of the post-1947 wars which India has fought and retorted, particularly 1971 (with Pakistan) and 1999 (Kargil with Pakistan), Ordnance Factories have served because the spine for dependable and matching provides to Indian Armed Forces and their Armaments have carried out remarkably, making India a winner. The provides of the Ordnance Factories within the wars after 1947, from the Kashmir operations of 1948 to the icy heights of Kargil in 1999, had been a deciding issue, figuring out India’s feats.
Manufacturing of the “Dhanush” and “Sharang” medium gun techniques, revolutionary enchancment in BMP 2 and ammunition techniques, amongst others, mirror the skilled acumen and dedication of the officers and employees of the Ordnance Factories
For its contribution through the Kargil conflict, Indian Ordnance Factories received accolades from the then Chief of Army Employees and the Parliamentary Standing Committee. Within the foreword to “Arming the Indian Arsenal”, former COAS Gen VP Malik, the Basic for Operations, claimed and commented, “Indian Ordnance Factories, which may produce ammunition and sure underlying equipments for which they’d the mandatory expertise, rose to the event. Nonetheless, we confronted appreciable issues in procuring gadgets which needed to be imported at a brief discover.”
Functionality
Identify the Expertise. Indian Ordnance Factories have been fitted and outfitted with these. Be it Precision Machining, be it Metallurgy, be it Chemical, be it Metrology, be it Ballistics, be it Armament and be it Vehicle. Indian Ordnance Factories are proud and fervent to have a variety of applied sciences beneath one roof. Thus, Ordnance Factories are engineers’ paradise. Indian Ordnance Factories are the biggest suppliers to the Indian Army. Indian Ordnance Factories are effectively outfitted and suffice as a supplier of alternative for intermediate chemical compounds, warheads and propellants utilized in Missile packages and superior Aluminium alloys for Area packages. No surprise, Indian Ordnance Factories rank within the listing of prime Defence Producers.
The Ordnance Factories have been the catalyst for a lot of improvements within the defence manufacturing sector. The manufacturing of the “Dhanush” and “Sharang” medium gun techniques, revolutionary enchancment in BMP 2 and ammunition techniques, amongst others, mirror the skilled acumen and dedication of the officers and employees of the Ordnance Factories. These have matured as a premier, esteemed and prime mover for the success of the ‘Make in India’ initiative of the Authorities of India and developed with the altering applied sciences and necessities of the Armed Forces.
On the export entrance, their contribution, though meagre, shouldn’t go unnoticed. Indian Ordnance Factories up to now have parcelled SA 7.62mm MAG HMG to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and anticipated to get orders for 155 mm ERFB BB Ammn 155 mm HE M107 Ammn, 105 LFG towards Land Eqpt, Bullet Proof Jacket, Mine Protected Car and Small Arms Ammunition, for which deliberations and coordination are progressing at superior stage. Equally, Indian Ordnance Factories up to now have despatched 155 mm ERFB BT Ammn and Primer M 191A2 to the United Arab Emirates and are envisaged to get orders for 155 mm ERFB BT Ammn, Primer M 191A2, TNT, Modified Mine Protected Automobiles and APC spares and improve. Furthermore, Ordnance Factories up to now have provided Cartg 14.5 mm ATA Nitro guanidine and hope to acquire orders for 14.5 mm Coaching Ammn , RDX, nitrocellulose, small arms ammn, and artillery ammn.
Future Reforms
With India making large strides on all fronts and with the emergence of “New India”, the function of Ordnance Factories as suppliers of arms & ammunition to Indian Armed Forces has solely enhanced. In fashionable warfare, fast-changing of applied sciences are taking part in an more and more essential function. Ordnance Factories beneath the seven DPSUs are gearing as much as cater to this modern-era warfare. Innovation, re-skilling and world presence is the important thing. The longer term will probably be vivid with extra dispensation and extra entrepreneurial power backed by the huge infrastructure and gifted manpower; they are going to be taking part in a major function within the emergence of New India.
To facilitate self-reliance in defence preparedness, new DPSUs could be required to equip Indian Armed Forces with Advanced and Fashionable Conflict-fighting Weapon Programs. With defence sector liberalisation, the recipient function of the brand new DPSUs because the captive producer has been modified, and this calls for a excessive degree of innovativeness and dynamism. New DPSUs are gearing as much as present their power of character by competing towards any participant by way of the parameters of price, high quality, supply and expertise sophistication for better buyer satisfaction within the supply of dependable weapon techniques in order that Ordnance Factories assume the function of designer and integrator, enabling Indian Ordnance Factories to construct a consortium of industries round them for product improvement and manufacturing according to suggestions of assorted committees.
