The Cabinet Committee on Security has approved the indigenous procurement of ammunition worth around Rs 10,200 crore for the Indian Army’s Pinaka multi-launcher rocket system, in another booster shot for the country’s self-reliance in the Defence manufacturing sector, according to senior officials.

The two deals include high-explosive pre-fragmented ammunition at a cost of about Rs 5,700 crore and area denial munitions for around Rs 4,500 crore.

The high-explosive pre-fragmented rocket ammunition has an enhanced range of 45 km, while the area denial munitions have a striking distance of 37 km, which can saturate a battlefield with anti-tank and anti-personnel mines.

The order will be divided between Pune-based Munitions India Limited and a private sector company.

Munitions India Limited is one of the seven Defence companies carved out of the erstwhile Ordnance Factory Board in 2021 as part of the Board’s corporatisation.

The aim was to boost efficiency and competitiveness in the country’s Defence manufacturing sector.

The other companies created were Armoured Vehicle Nigam Limited, India Optel Limited, Troop Comforts Limited, Advanced Weapons and Equipment India Limited, Gliders India Limited and Yantra India Limited.

The procurement has been approved close on the heels of the Defence Ministry signing a Rs 1,561-crore contract with Heavy Vehicles Factory (HVF), based at Avadi in Chennai, to equip the Army with 47 T-72 bridge laying tanks for the faster movement of mechanised forces in the battle zone. The HVF is a unit of Armoured Vehicle Nigam Limited.

Earlier on January 16, the Ministry of Defence signed a contract with Bharat Dynamics Limited for the supply of medium-range surface-to-air missiles (MRSAM) for the Indian Navy at a cost of approximately Rs 2,960 crore.

The MRSAM system is a standard fit, onboard multiple Indian Naval ships and is planned to be fitted on the majority of the future platforms planned for acquisition.

The contract marks a critical milestone in the ongoing efforts to bolster India’s Defence capabilities and indigenise advanced military technology, according to a Defence Ministry statement.

India’s annual Defence production has surpassed Rs 1.25 lakh crore and the country is exporting equipment to over 100 nations. The target for Defence exports has been fixed at Rs 50,000 crore, according to a ministry data.