As ammunition, spares and logistics form the backbone of combat endurance, the Indian Army has placed self-reliance in ammunition production at the core of its preparedness strategy.
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According to officials, the Army, which operates close to 200 variants of ammunition and precision munitions across its weapon systems, managed to ensure that more than 90 per cent of these are indigenised and are being sourced through domestic routes. This has been done through focused policy reforms and industry engagement.
Those in the remaining categories are under active development through parallel efforts involving research agencies, public sector manufacturers and private industry, officials said.
"From reducing import dependence to creating a resilient domestic supply chain, the Army's sustained push for indigenisation is reshaping ammunition preparedness and long-term warfighting capability", news agency PTI quoted a senior official as saying.
The official said in the past four to five years, procurement processes have been restructured to promote competition and multiple sourcing options.
An order basket of around Rs 16,000 crore has been created under 'Make in India' initiatives, while ammunition supply orders worth nearly Rs 26,000 crore have been placed on indigenous manufacturers in the past three year.
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Vendor diversification has strengthened supply resilience, with multiple domestic suppliers now supporting many ammunition variants.
The next phase focuses on consolidating these improvements, prioritising stronger domestic raw material supply chains for propellants and fuses, modernised manufacturing infrastructure, faster technology transfers, and rigorous quality standards.
Together, these measures aim to build a robust and self-sustaining ammunition ecosystem, the officials said.
For years, ammunition supply relied heavily on the legacy production systems and overseas sourcing, leaving it vulnerable during global disruptions, the officials said. According to the officials, recent conflicts have shown that countries that can sustain ammunition supplies domestically are better positioned to maintain operational momentum.
By anchoring its ammunition capability in indigenous strength, the Army is enhancing its ability to sustain prolonged operations, reinforce national resilience and ensure that operational readiness remains firm, the official said.
