India Races To Bridge Ammunition Gap, Eyes Complete Indigenisation By End Of 2025

India’s armed forces are racing to achieve complete self-reliance in ammunition production by the end of 2025, a goal intensified by shortages experienced during Operation Sindoor.

The push comes amid urgent efforts to expand domestic manufacturing capabilities and reduce import dependence, according to a PTI report.

Speaking at PHDCCI’s Ammo Power Conference, Lieutenant General Amardeep Singh Aujla, Master General Sustenance of the Indian Army, shared that out of the 175 variants of ammunition in the Army's inventory, 154 are indigenous, and by the end of this year, they will be 100 per cent indigenous.

"In terms of our present ammunition ecosystem, we have got 175 different variants of ammunition on our inventory, of all types, small, medium and heavy types. Out of these 154 are today indigenised. It is a mini-success kind of a story as to where we were 3-4 years back and where we are now. I think it is a very drastic and a very upscale kind of transition that is happening," the officer was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.

"We were less than 30 per cent indigenous just about four years back, today we are 90 per cent indigenous. The balance 31, 12 are in very advanced stages of trials. So, they are also equally indigenised," he added.

“The first phase is that by 2025 — that is, the end of this year — we should be 100 per cent indigenous for all our needs. But everything I have spoken about does not come without challenges. These challenges today are in terms of our production capacities — what we state and what we actually produce," he was quoted as saying by Economic Times.

He highlighted severe shortfalls in core raw materials such as propellants, explosives, and fuses.

“When we talk about propellants — whether it's NC, NG, single base, double base, triple base, or ball powder — we are falling short. The gap between our requirement and what is being produced is significant. I believe we need to scale it up by about five to six times,” he added.

Other senior defence officials echoed similar concerns, pointing to systemic gaps in both finished ammunition output and the supply of essential inputs.

Despite the challenges, they reaffirmed the Army’s intent to indigenise every category of ammunition by December 2025.

Defence Secretary (Defence Production) Sanjeev Kumar emphasized the need to improve focus on foundational manufacturing elements. “When we interacted with the private sector and also the public sector during the month of May, one thing I realized was that many of us are not able to concentrate or focus on the primary ingredients required in manufacturing,” he said.

“Self-reliance is necessary, and that has been the theme of the government for more than a decade," Kumar said.

"So, self-reliance not only in platforms, not only in technology and other areas of defence requirements, but also in the field of ammunition,” he added.

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