Home Ministry Talks To 17 Indian Private Arms Manufacturers To Localise Production Of Small Arms For CAPFs

In a bid to push further the Make in India and Aatmanirbhar Bharat spirit in domestic defence manufacturing, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has held discussions with 17 private Indian companies for local production of small arms for the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs), reports Economic Times.

The private companies shortlisted by the MHA were ones which own the licence to manufacture weapons in the nation. Such participants included Larsen & Toubro (L&T), Godrej, Kalyani Strategic, Shyam Arms, Premier Explosives, HYT and VEM Technologies etcetera.

The move comes as the government is looking to localise the production of several weapons which are used by the CAPFs and are presently imported by them from abroad via the MHA.

The first round of the discussion held involved the representatives of the companies and the Director-Generals of the ITBP, BSF, CRPF, SSB, CISF, NSG and the Assam Rifles which form the seven CAPFs in India. The MHA has asked the CAPFs to provide their requirements so local manufacturing can be taken up by private players.