In a move that will have a major impact on the firepower of the Indian Army, the defence ministry signed contracts worth Rs 6,900 crore with Bharat Forge Limited and Tata Advanced System Limited.
While Bharat Forge Limited will provide the Army with 155mm/52 Calibre Advanced Towed Artillery Gun Systems (ATAGS), Tata Advanced System Limited will be offering High Mobility Vehicle 6x6 Gun Towing Vehicles.
In a major boost to #AatmanirbharBharat, MoD has signed contracts worth Rs 6,900 Cr with @BharatForgeLtd & @tataadvanced for the procurement of 155mm/52 Cal ATAGS & 6x6 High Mobility Gun Towing Vehicles. This marks the first major towed gun procurement from the #privatesector,… pic.twitter.com/utzvRf0HqF
— Ministry of Defence, Government of India (@SpokespersonMoD) March 26, 2025
The procurement of the 155 mm/52 Calibre ATAGS will be a major milestone in the modernisation of the Artillery Regiments, as they will replace the vintage and smaller calibre guns, enhancing the artillery capabilities of the Indian Army.
“ATAGS, renowned for its exceptional lethality, will play a crucial role in bolstering the Army's firepower by enabling precise and long-range strikes,” the ministry said in a release.
“Being the first major procurement of towed guns from the private sector by the Indian Army, the project will provide a boost to the Indian gun manufacturing industry in particular and the indigenous defence manufacturing eco-system as a whole,” a statement from the ministry read.
With these, total contracts worth Rs 1.40 lakh crore have been signed by the defence ministry for capital procurement till date in the current Financial Year 2024-25.
The contracts were signed in the presence of Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh at South Block in New Delhi. During the contract signing, the project director of ATAGS from DRDO’s Armament Research and Development Establishment, Pune, who played a major role in the realisation of the project, was felicitated by the defence secretary.
