Latest news with #Bofors
News18
2 days ago
- Business
- News18
80 Seconds, 48km: India's New Next-Gen Artillery Guns Can Reach Lahore From Amritsar
Last Updated: While similar foreign artillery systems cost Rs 35-40 crore, DRDO's ATAGS costs just Rs 15 crore. In development since 2012, it is now ready for induction into the Army In a striking display of India's growing defence capabilities, the spotlight has turned to the Advanced Towed Artillery Gun System (ATAGS), a powerful, indigenous weapon designed to deliver long-range precision firepower. Developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) in collaboration with Indian industry, ATAGS represents a major leap in homegrown artillery technology and is expected to play a crucial role in modern battlefield operations. The ATAGS is often referred to as the successor to the Bofors gun, which played a crucial role in India's victory during the Kargil war. The ATAGS is a 155 mm/52 calibre cannon. Manufactured by Bharat Forge and Tata Advanced Systems Limited, the standout feature of this cannon is its long range and pinpoint accuracy. It follows a shoot-and-scoot strategy, quickly relocating after firing to avoid enemy retaliation. Why Is It Special? While several countries, including military superpowers like the United States and China, possess advanced artillery systems, what makes the ATAGS remarkable is its range. At 48 km, it is considered the most advanced towed artillery gun in the world in this category. With such capability, it can, in theory, strike targets in Lahore from within Punjab's Amritsar district, as the two cities are just 50 km apart. ATAGS has proven highly effective across diverse terrains, from the deserts of Rajasthan to the icy heights of Siachen. DRDO is now working on enhancing its range to 80–90 km by developing GPS-guided and ramjet-propelled shells. Once operational, this upgrade will significantly boost its strike capability, enabling it to hit deep inside enemy territory without ever crossing the border. One of the most impressive features of the ATAGS is its rapid deployment. It can be ready to fire in just 80 seconds. In case of danger, it can reposition itself within 85 seconds. The gun is mounted on an 8×8 high-mobility truck capable of reaching speeds up to 90 km/h. ATAGS can fire 10 high-explosive shells in 2.5 minutes or five shells in just 60 seconds. Remarkably, 85% of its components are indigenous. While a foreign artillery system of this class costs Rs 35-40 crore, the ATAGS comes at a much lower cost of Rs 15 crore. Developed by DRDO since 2012, the gun is now ready for induction into the Indian Army. In March 2025, the Government of India approved a Rs 6,900 crore deal to procure 307 ATAGS units. The first regiment, comprising 18 guns, is expected to be delivered by February 2027. Get breaking news, in-depth analysis, and expert perspectives on everything from politics to crime and society. Stay informed with the latest India news only on News18. Download the News18 App to stay updated! view comments Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Time of India
4 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Opening defence sector to desi pvt players robust decision making: Guv
1 2 Nagpur: Governor C P Radhakrishnan on Saturday backed the opening up of India's defence sector to indigenous private players as robust decision-making and termed its criticism regressive. "Bofors guns were imported, and now Rafales were bought. Does it not allow the rest of the world to know about India's defence secrets when weapons are imported," asked Radhakrishnan. He was addressing the first batch of Post Graduate Diploma in Management holders (PGDM) passing out of National Academy of Defence Production (NADP) here. The governor expressed hope that in the changing scenario where the private sector was getting a push, Maharashtra would have defence corridors in line with those in Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. One day, Tejas will rule the skies, he said about the light combat aircraft being developed indigenously. "Why should certain political parties oppose privatisation, citing the possibility of military secrets getting leaked? Weapons are made by our own people in our own country. The country should depend on its people rather than on foreigners," he said. India was once importing defence items, now it has become an exporter, he said. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Ada jeragat, terus nampak tua! Minum ni je, beli kat Guardian URUHIME MOMOKO Undo "Earlier, there was no innovation, modernisation, or research in the sector, but now this is happening. Those passing out of NADP should take up jobs in companies and eventually become entrepreneurs too," said the governor. Radhakrishnan said as Jharkhand governor, he had planned to set up a Sainik University and it would have been in line with Sainik Schools, where the spirit of nationalism and serving the armed forces is instilled. "But my dream remained unfulfilled as I was soon appointed governor of Maharashtra," said Radhakrishnan, hoping that one day the idea would materialise. He also praised NADP's infrastructure.
New Indian Express
20-06-2025
- Business
- New Indian Express
Raising of Dhanush 3rd regiment begins
NEW DELHI: The Indian Army has begun raising the third Regiment of the indigenously manufactured Dhanush artillery guns. As this newspaper reported in October 2024, going by the tardy delivery of the indigenously produced advanced Bofors gun, Dhanush, for the Indian Army, it will be difficult to meet the March 2026 dateline. The first gun was inducted in April 2019, and till now, only two regiments have become operational. 'Going by the speed of delivery, it is unlikely that all the guns might be delivered in the remaining time,' sources at the top said. Sources in the defence establishment said, 'We have completed the process of raising a second regiment of Dhanush gun systems and also receiving a few systems for the third unit.' The overall project involves inducting 114 guns in six regiments. Some delays are expected before all the guns are inducted. The Dhanush is the country's first indigenously built artillery gun, manufactured by Advanced Weapons and Equipment India Limited (AWEIL), previously a part of the Ordnance Factory Board (OFB). The plan was to induct 114 guns with 80% indigenous content by 2026. Its indigenous content makes its maintenance easier in terms of spare parts' availability. One Regiment comprises 18 guns. The cost of each gun is about Rs 14 crore. Dhanush can travel through difficult terrains and target enemy targets day or night.
India Today
11-06-2025
- Business
- India Today
'Make in India' gave us breakthrough in defence, says Bharat Forge's Baba Kalyani
After years of indifference from policymakers and the military establishment, Bharat Forge is now among the companies that are at the forefront of India's defence manufacturing push, thanks to a crisis-driven pivot and a policy overhaul led by the Narendra Modi-led government. In 2012, at a defence exhibition in Delhi, a few paused to look at the artillery gun on display by Bharat lot of army guys walked by, some laughed at it,' Chairman Baba Kalyani said during an episode of the New India Junction podcast 'Not a single guy stopped to even see what the hell it was.'The lack of interest wasn't about the product. It was about disbelief, according to Kalyani, but that an Indian private company, not a foreign giant or public sector unit, could build something as complex as an artillery gun. The military brass was still sold on imports. 'Everybody believed in global suppliers,' said Joint MD Amit Kalyani. Today, over a decade later, the same homegrown gun is a symbol of India's Make in India ambitions. But Bharat Forge's entry into defence manufacturing wasn't born out of strategy alone, it was shaped by frustration, missed opportunities, and a global financial crisis that forced a seeds were sown in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crash. 'This idea of defence came into my mind somewhere around 2011,' said on his military school background and deep friendships within the armed forces, he realised that artillery guns were essentially complex forging systems, something Bharat Forge already excelled at.'Look at artillery, it's full of forging. It's metallurgy. So I thought, why don't we use our metallurgical and forging knowledge to make guns?'But back then, defence production was a state monopoly. Kalyani recalled how in the 1980s, India imported 400 artillery guns from Swedish firm Bofors, along with a full technology transfer package. 'Sweden literally gave the total artillery technology package on a platter,' he said. 'But the private sector was locked out.'In 2011, Kalyani took his pitch to then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. He was directed to Defence Minister AK Antony. 'He listened to me for 15–20 minutes and said thank you very much. I walked out. I got no response,' Kalyani Kalyani shared how his father had carried a file dating back to 1976—documenting Bharat Forge's early efforts to enter the sector. Four decades later, the same equipment was still being 2012 gun display only reinforced how deep the skepticism ran. 'We showcased this gun in 2012, and I can tell you, the kind of skepticism that came out, it was as if we didn't exist,' said Kalyani. 'We were offering guns at half the price of imports. Price was not the problem.'It wasn't until the Modi government's Make in India campaign began in December 2014 that the tide turned. Kalyani participated in a defence conclave at Vigyan Bhavan that year, helping draft policy inputs alongside senior officials. 'That's where the real revolution started,' he breakthrough came under Manohar Parrikar, who as Defence Minister rewrote the Defence Procurement Procedure (DPP 2016). 'He understood both the policy and implementation challenges. He formed committees to fix the entire system,' Kalyani said. 'If Parrikar were alive today, he would have taken India's defence industry even further.'Kalyani believes India's reluctance to involve private players is the key reason countries like China and South Korea pulled ahead in the 1990s. 'We focused everything in the public sector. The private sector wasn't allowed into defence till 2014,' he he argued, was throttled by red tape. 'In the public sector, you spend Rs 100 and someone from finance asks why. You spend more time justifying paperwork than doing creative work.'advertisementFor Bharat Forge, defence manufacturing is no longer a speculative foray, it's a key vertical. And the economics make sense. 'We make guns at half the price of imports,' Kalyani point is not just about cost, but capability. The company's artillery guns aren't just cheaper, they're made in India, with Indian materials and Indian expertise. The once-dismissed prototype has become a poster child for strategic while policy finally caught up, it was private conviction that laid the groundwork. 'I used to keep wondering what is wrong with us,' Kalyani said. 'We had the tech, we had the price advantage—but no one believed.' Now they Watch
Time of India
10-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Bofors fully transferred tech to India in 80s, I even proposed made-in-India guns to Cong govt, but...: Baba Kalyani's explosive reveal
India imported 400 Bofors guns from Sweden in the 1980s under the Congress regime, claimed Bharat Forge Chairman Baba Kalyani . Kalyani, who made the observations during an interview, said that along with the guns, India also received the complete technology transfer from the Swedish firm in the 1980s; however, this was never utilized to establish indigenous artillery gun manufacturing. Separately, he revealed that in 2011, he personally approached then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Defence Minister AK Antony to pitch domestically produced howitzer guns, but his proposals were met with, in his own words, a cold response. Reflecting on the origins of his interest in artillery manufacturing and the Bofors legacy, Kalyani said, 'What really got me excited was the connection between metallurgy and artillery guns. I still remember in the 80s, when the Bofors technology came in, it really was a transfer of technology of something which, if India has, is metallurgical strength, and that's what got me excited.' When Swedish firm Bofors tranferred its tech to India Despite the comprehensive technology transfer that accompanied the Bofors deal, Kalyani highlighted the exclusion of the private sector from defense manufacturing during that era. 'I still remember in the 80s, Sweden literally gave the total artillery technology package on a platter, but unfortunately, at that time, the private sector was locked out from defense manufacturing,' he lamented. Live Events Years later, Kalyani faced further hurdles in promoting indigenous defense technology. 'We showcased this gun in 2012, and I can tell you, the kind of, you know, skepticism that came out, it was as if, you know, we didn't exist,' he said, underscoring the prevailing reluctance to embrace homegrown innovation. This challenge was separate from the Bofors era, but continued to hinder domestic manufacturing. Recounting his efforts in 2011, he added, 'And literally, if I look at it, they kept on going back and buying stuff from outside, and I remember meeting every prime minister, every defense minister, and it was like a blank wall,' Kalyani explained, describing the perceived lack of support for indigenous efforts, even well after the Bofors scandal . 'Made-in-India a game changer' Adding to the frustration, Kalyani pointed out the cost-effectiveness of manufacturing within India. 'I was much cheaper than buying it from outside, so I used to keep wondering what is wrong with us, you know,' he stated, highlighting the missed economic opportunity. However, Kalyani expressed optimism about the shift in approach under the current government. 'I think the whole dream has come alive in this government,' he said, referring to the Modi administration's push for local manufacturing and self-reliance in defense. According to Kalyani, the "Make in India" initiative has been a game-changer. "So in December '14, when we had this Make in India conclave, that's where the real revolution started," he emphasized, noting its transformative impact on the sector. He also credited Manohar Parrikar, former Defence Minister, for bringing about crucial policy changes that opened the sector to private players. "I think the biggest change that happened was Manohar Parrikar came in, and the first thing he did was unleashed what is called the DPP 2016, where he opened it up to the private sector," Kalyani stated. The Bofors Scandal The Bofors scandal remains a prominent chapter in India's political history. The $1.4 billion deal to acquire 410 field howitzers from Swedish arms manufacturer Bofors in 1986 became embroiled in allegations of bribery and corruption, casting a shadow over defense procurements for years to come. While the technology transfer was part of the agreement, India's indigenous artillery manufacturing remained largely dependent on imports and public sector units for decades, per Kalyani's account.
