Defence
Indian Army personnel from White Night Corps armed with a Sig 716i, 2021. (PRO Defence Jammu/Wikipedia)
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has signed a Rs 659.47 crore contract for the procurement of Night Sights (Image Intensifiers) for 7.62x51mm, SIG 716 Assault Rifles, along with accessories, for the Indian Army, marking another milestone in India’s push for indigenous defence production.
The contract, signed on Wednesday (15 October), was awarded to a consortium led by MKU Ltd with Medbit Technologies Pvt Ltd as a partner.
The advanced Night Sights will significantly enhance the Army’s ability to operate in low-light and night-time combat scenarios, allowing soldiers to effectively engage targets up to 500 metres even under starlit conditions.
The procurement falls under the Buy (Indian–IDDM) category, ensuring that over 51 per cent of the components are indigenously sourced.
The initiative not only strengthens India’s defence self-reliance but also provides a major boost to Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) involved in the domestic supply chain of optics, electronics, and raw materials.