India Asks Bharat Forge & Mahindra to Boost Defence Equipment Production.

The Indian government is taking big steps to strengthen the country’s defence. It has asked private companies like Bharat Forge and Mahindra to make more defence equipment. What kind of equipment? They are being asked to increase production of: • Anti-drone weapons which are used to stop enemy drones. • Smart ammunition (advanced bullets and shells). • Armoured vehicles (strong military vehicles) that can use: - Loitering munitions (drones that fly around before hitting targets). - Guided missiles (missiles that can be directed to a target). Why private companies? - Private companies are now playing a bigger role in India’s defence industry, along with government factories. This helps speed up production and bring in new technology. - Bharat Forge has a big defence factory near Pune and is already building powerful artillery guns (ATAGS) with DRDO, which can fire as far as 48 km. - Mahindra builds military vehicles like the Marksman and Rakshak, and also makes small arms and ammo. India’s Defence Progress: • ₹1.27 lakh crore worth of defence equipment was made in India in FY24. • 65% of this was made within the country – a big jump from earlier years. • The private made 21% of the total. India now has: • 430+ licensed defence companies • Around 16,000 small businesses (MSMEs) in defence • 16 government defence units This is all part of the ‘Make in India’ push to make the country self-reliant in defence.