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Hindustan Times
03-07-2025
- Business
- Hindustan Times
Delhi HC upholds CRPF decision rejecting company's bid for arms supply
New Delhi, The Delhi High Court has upheld CRPF's decision rejecting a company's bid for supplying sniper rifles and ammunition, calling it fair and reasonable. Delhi HC upholds CRPF decision rejecting company's bid for arms supply A bench of Justices Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora and Rajneesh Kumar Gupta on July 1 passed the order acting on a petition filed by Stumpp Schuele Lewis Machine Tools Pvt. Ltd's, which alleged technical bias and unfair advantage to rival bidders. The bench said that the petitioner was given ample opportunity, including a second round of field trials, and was unable to point out any unfairness in the field trials. It rejected company's argument that weather conditions or mirage effects caused the petitioner's failure and said that allowing a third trial would undermine the procurement process and set a problematic precedent. "This court finds that the decision taken by respondent 2 in disqualifying the petitioner vide impugned rejection letter dated March 27, 2025 was not arbitrary, unreasonable or irrational as the petitioner was unable to point out any unfairness in the field trials," the bench said. The court noted that all bidders had agreed to the trial methodology in advance, and the petitioner's objections surfaced only after failing the trial, making them appear as an afterthought. The company contested its disqualification. Advocate Rohan Jaitley appeared for the Centre while advocates Varun Pratap Singh, Dev Pratap Shani, and Yogya Bhatia represented the CRPF. The company claimed that it used the specified ball/lock base ammunition whereas its competitors used "hollow point boat tail" type of rounds allegedly in violation of tender norms and international standards. The case stems from a CRPF tender issued on September 24, 2024, for 200 sniper rifles chambered in .338 Lapua Magnum and 20,000 rounds of ammunition. The first round, held in January 2025 in Pune, saw none of the bidders meeting all accuracy benchmarks. A second round in February at the CRPF academy in Gurugram resulted in two other companies passing as the petitioner failed to meet the 400-metre accuracy requirement. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
India Gazette
03-07-2025
- Business
- India Gazette
Delhi HC Upholds CRPF's rejection of bid in Sniper Rifle tender
New Delhi [India], July 23 (ANI): In an order on defence procurement, the Delhi High Court has upheld the Central Reserve Police Force's (CRPF) decision to reject the bid of Stumpp Schuele Lewis Machine Tools Pvt. Ltd. for the supply of sniper rifles and ammunition. The Court dismissed the company's challenge, which alleged technical bias and unfair advantage to rival bidders. A Division Bench comprising Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora and Justice Rajneesh Kumar Gupta ruled that the petitioner was given ample opportunity, including a second round of field trials. The Court found no merit in the argument that weather conditions or mirage effects caused the petitioner's failure. It emphasised that allowing a third trial would undermine the procurement process and set a problematic precedent. The Court accepted the CRPF's interpretation that 'matching ammunition' included Hollow Point Boat Tail (HPBT) rounds. It noted that all bidders had agreed to the trial methodology in advance, and the petitioner's objections surfaced only after failing the trial--making them appear as an afterthought. Citing the Supreme Court's ruling in the Tata Motors Ltd. case, the Bench reiterated that a disqualified bidder has no standing to challenge the selection of others. The petitioner had contested its disqualification via a March 27, 2025, letter, arguing that it used the specified Ball/Lock Base ammunition, while competitors used HPBT rounds--allegedly in violation of tender norms and international standards. It also cited favourable results from earlier Pune trials and requested a fresh trial, citing environmental interference during testing. However, the Union of India and CRPF countered that the tender's term 'matching ammunition' encompassed HPBT. They pointed out that no objections were raised during or immediately after the trials, and all bidders--including the petitioner--had signed fair trial certificates. They also argued that the ballistic difference between HPBT and Ball/Lock Base was negligible at the 400-meter range, and a third trial would compromise the integrity and timeliness of the procurement. Advocate Rohan Jaitley appeared as Central Government Standing Counsel (CGSC) for the Union of India, along with Advocates Varun Pratap Singh, Dev Pratap Shani, and Yogya Bhatia, who appeared on behalf of the CRPF. The case stems from a CRPF tender issued on September 24, 2024, for 200 sniper rifles chambered in .338 Lapua Magnum and 20,000 rounds of ammunition. Three firms--Stumpp Schuele Lewis, PLR Systems, and ICOMM Tele Ltd.--participated in the trials. The first round, held in January 2025 in Pune, saw none of the bidders meet all accuracy benchmarks. A second round in February at the CRPF Academy in Gurugram resulted in PLR Systems and ICOMM passing, while the petitioner failed to meet the 400-meter accuracy requirement. (ANI)
Zawya
22-04-2025
- Business
- Zawya
EDGE, Megha join hands to open small arms factory in India
Caracal, a leading small arms manufacturer from the UAE and an entity within EDGE Group, in collaboration with Icomm Tele Limited, a group company of Megha Engineering and Infrastructures Limited (MEIL), today (April 21) inaugurated a top-class small arms manufacturing facility at its integrated engineering facility in Hyderabad. This exclusive facility will serve as a local manufacturing hub for a comprehensive portfolio of advanced weapons under a historic Technology Transfer (ToT) agreement with Caracal, marking a landmark milestone in UAE–India defence collaboration. Under this initiative, the facility will produce: *The mission-proven CAR 816 close-quarters battle rifle, chambered in 5.56x45mm NATO *The highly-reliable CAR 817 assault rifle, chambered in 7.62x51mm NATO *The lightweight CSR 338 bolt-action sniper rifle, chambered in .338 Lapua Magnum *The lightweight CSR 308 bolt-action sniper rifle, chambered in .308 Winchester *The highly-accurate CSR 50 bolt-action anti-materiel sniper rifle, chambered in 12.7x99mm NATO *The modern CMP9 submachine gun, chambered in 9x19mm *The versatile Caracal EF and Caracal F GEN II combat pistols, chambered in 9x19mm These next-generation weapons will serve the critical needs of: Indian Armed Forces, Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs), Special Forces, State Police Forces, and SPG, and also cater to global export requirements of Caracal. Sumanth Paturu, Managing Director, Icomm Tele, said: "This facility stands as a testament to our unwavering commitment to India's defence forces and our belief in the vision of our Hon'ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi Ji for Aatmanirbhar Bharat." "At Icomm, we are not just making in India, we are making for India and for the world, with precision, pride and purpose," he stated. "With Caracal by our side as a trusted and visionary partner, we are building more than world-class weapons - we are building a bold, self-reliant India. This is our salute to every soldier, and our promise to deliver quality that protects, empowers and inspires," he added. Caracal CEO Hamad Alameri said: 'The launch of the Icomm Caracal Small Arms Complex marks a milestone in our efforts to support the Indian market and defence industry." As the first small arms technology transfer from the UAE to India, the factory further highlights our commitment to Prime Minister Modi's Make in India initiative. With successful technical qualification by two Special Forces units and strong progress in army trials, we are proud to deepen our role in India's defence ecosystem," stated Alameri. "Icomm has proven to be a highly capable and reliable partner, with world-class manufacturing expertise and a deep commitment to national self-reliance," he added.- TradeArabia News Service Copyright 2024 Al Hilal Publishing and Marketing Group Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (
Trade Arabia
21-04-2025
- Business
- Trade Arabia
EDGE, Megha join hands to open small arms factory in India
Caracal, a leading small arms manufacturer from the UAE and an entity within EDGE Group, in collaboration with Icomm Tele Limited, a group company of Megha Engineering and Infrastructures Limited (MEIL), today (April 21) inaugurated a top-class small arms manufacturing facility at its integrated engineering facility in Hyderabad. This exclusive facility will serve as a local manufacturing hub for a comprehensive portfolio of advanced weapons under a historic Technology Transfer (ToT) agreement with Caracal, marking a landmark milestone in UAE–India defence collaboration. Under this initiative, the facility will produce: *The mission-proven CAR 816 close-quarters battle rifle, chambered in 5.56x45mm NATO *The highly-reliable CAR 817 assault rifle, chambered in 7.62x51mm NATO *The lightweight CSR 338 bolt-action sniper rifle, chambered in .338 Lapua Magnum *The lightweight CSR 308 bolt-action sniper rifle, chambered in .308 Winchester *The highly-accurate CSR 50 bolt-action anti-materiel sniper rifle, chambered in 12.7x99mm NATO *The modern CMP9 submachine gun, chambered in 9x19mm *The versatile Caracal EF and Caracal F GEN II combat pistols, chambered in 9x19mm These next-generation weapons will serve the critical needs of: Indian Armed Forces, Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs), Special Forces, State Police Forces, and SPG, and also cater to global export requirements of Caracal. Sumanth Paturu, Managing Director, Icomm Tele, said: "This facility stands as a testament to our unwavering commitment to India's defence forces and our belief in the vision of our Hon'ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi Ji for Aatmanirbhar Bharat." "At Icomm, we are not just making in India, we are making for India and for the world, with precision, pride and purpose," he stated. "With Caracal by our side as a trusted and visionary partner, we are building more than world-class weapons - we are building a bold, self-reliant India. This is our salute to every soldier, and our promise to deliver quality that protects, empowers and inspires," he added. Caracal CEO Hamad Alameri said: 'The launch of the Icomm Caracal Small Arms Complex marks a milestone in our efforts to support the Indian market and defence industry."
The Print
21-04-2025
- Business
- The Print
CRPF to hold fresh trials for procurement of 200 sniper rifles after intervention by Delhi HC
While SSS Defence cleared the 100-metre, 800-metre and 1,000-metre field trials, it failed in the 400-metre. Sources in the defence and security establishment said Indian small arms manufacturer SSS Defence challenged the tendering process in court after two other competitors used superior ammunition than the one specified by the CRPF. According to the petition filed by SSS Defence, CRPF had issued a tender for procurement of 200 sniper rifles, along with 20,000 numbers of .338 Lapua Magnum ball/lock base ammunition. New Delhi: The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) is set to conduct a retrial for the procurement of 200 sniper rifles and 20,000 ammunition following intervention of the Delhi High Court, ThePrint has learnt. It was then revealed that while SSS Defence used ammunition specified by CRPF, its two competitors used Hollow Point Boat Tail (HPBT) ammunition—which provides more stability and better accuracy—in the field trials. Use of HPBT rounds provided the other two bidders, PLR Systems (a joint venture between Adani Group and Israel Weapon Industries) and ICOMM (a MEIL group company in collaboration with CARACAL from UAE), an unfair advantage, argued SSS Defence before the Delhi High Court. On 8 April, the high court interim order noted that CRPF offered to hold a retrial as per the requirements of the tender, and quashed SSS Defence's disqualification from the process. The three bidders for the contract had all failed various parts of the two field trials held in January and February of this year, however, SSS Defence was the only bidder to be disqualified. The first field trial held in Pune in January, saw the SSS Defence sniper rifle clear the 400-metre test, while PLR failed. However, given that the trial was inconclusive, it was decided to hold a second field trial in February. It was after the second trials were concluded, that SSS Defence noticed the difference in the ammunition used by the two other bidders and at the end of February raised the violation of tender norms with the authorities. This was followed up with meetings with CRPF officials. But at the end of March, SSS Defence received a notice that their bid was rejected during the technical evaluation stage of the bid, without any reasoning given. Subsequently, SSS Defence approached Delhi High Court, which in an order dated 8 April, quashed rejection of its bid, while CRPF submitted to the court that it would hold a retrial for procurement of 200 sniper rifles. SSS Defence is a Bengaluru based small arms manufacturer which last year bagged and fulfilled a contract for the export of .338 Lapua Magnum calibre sniper rifle to a friendly foreign country. It was the first time an Indian manufacturer exported sniper rifles to a foreign country. Last year, the CEO of the Bengaluru-based small arms manufacturer in a rare instance, spoke out against the Indian Army's fresh order for 73,000 SIG 716 G2 rifles from the US. Also Read: Indians prefer tech tie-ups to atmanirbharta, US & Israel as partners—Takshashila Institution survey Procurement process in a nutshell The original tender was floated in September 2024, with a clear requirement for 200 sniper rifles, along with a day scope and 20,000 rounds of the .338 Lapua Magnum ball/lock base ammunition. In December 2024, SSS Defence submitted two rifles along with ammunition as samples to the CRPF. Field trials were scheduled for January 2025, in Pune. But the tests were inconclusive, which led to a second set of field trials organised for February 2025. The second field trials were held in Gurugram at the end of February, following which SSS Defence noticed discrepancies in ammunition used by the other bidders. Despite raising it with the authorities at the end of March, it was rejected by CRPF during the technical evaluation stage. On 8 April, the Delhi High Court ordered the quashing of the rejection, and ruled that the process would be held again and completed within 45 days. (Edited by Amrtansh Arora) Also Read: Kerala Police has its eyes on Indo-Russian AK-203, set to be first police force to procure it
