Kamal Ghorui
NEW DELHI: To provide lethal punch to the Indian Army‘s firepower, Indian defence major Adani Defence & Aerospace on Saturday delivered the first batch of 2,000 ‘Prahar’ light machine guns (LMGs) manufactured under the ‘Make in India’ initiative.The delivery of the first batch of the 7.62 mm-calibre weapon, manufactured at the company’s small arms complex on the outskirts of Gwalior, was completed in seven months well ahead of the contracted schedule. The company spokesperson said the total order for the LMGs stands at around 40,000.The LMG weighs 8 kg and is 1,100 mm long and it has an effective range of 1,000 m, according to the company’s data. Prahar has a rate of fire of 600–750 rounds per minute.During the truck flagging-off ceremony, Ashish Rajvanshi, CEO of Adani Defence & Aerospace, told the media, “The journey that has begun today took us six years, starting from bid submission, and we have delivered the first batch, 11 months ahead of schedule. The original timeline which was given to us by the customer has been seven years plus, but I can assure you that in the next three years the full order will be delivered.”Each weapon has undergone lifecycle testing, ballistic assessment and environmental trials before deployment, ensuring adherence to the operational and reliability standards required by the Indian armed forces, a company statement said.The flagging-off ceremony on the premises of the Gwalior facility on Saturday was attended by A Anbarasu, DG acquisition, defence ministry. Anbarasu lauded the company for saving several months by delivering ahead of schedule, and said it shows there is the ability to “race and fire” against time in turning contracts into deliveries. He said the govt stands shoulder-to-shoulder with its defence industry partners, asserting that “scale” and “speed” are the twin pillars of defence acquisition that guide the entire procurement process. Anbarasu stressed that the govt and the private sector have to be together in the nation’s journey towards achieving Atmanirbharta in defence.The Indian Army uses LMGs, such as Prahar and Negev NG-7, to strengthen its firepower along the Line of Control (LoC) and the international border with Pakistan by providing high-volume, long-range fire (up to 1,000m) to secure bunkers, provide defensive fire and counter infiltration attempts.Designed for scale, the Gwalior facility has an annual production capacity of up to 1 lakh weapons, with more than 90% domestic sourcing. The facility is contributing to a broader industrial ecosystem in MP by generating skilled employment and supporting MSMEs across the supply chain.The Gwalior unit is also geared to manufacture close quarter battle (CQB) weapons for the armed forces, further expanding India’s indigenous small arms capability. The manufacturing capability is also supported by Adani Defence’s ammunition complex in Kanpur, commissioned in 2024.
