- The Defence Ministry signed contracts worth ₹6,900 crore with Bharat Forge Limited and Tata Advanced Systems Limited for 307 locally made artillery guns.
- This deal is part of a larger effort to modernize the Indian Army's artillery regiments, with a total of ₹1.4 lakh crore in capital purchase deals signed in 2024-25.
- The 155mm/52-calibre ATAGS, developed by DRDO, has a range of 48 km and will replace older, smaller calibre guns.
- Bharat Forge will manufacture 60% of the guns, while TASL will produce the remaining 40%, marking a significant milestone for private sector involvement in defence procurement.
- The project is expected to reduce dependency on foreign imports, generate substantial employment, and boost the indigenous defence manufacturing ecosystem.
Source: Hindustan Times, The Hindu
