Pune-based defence major Kalyani Group informed that it would set up the world’s largest artillery manufacturing facility in India, producing one gun per day.
“We are in the process of setting up the world’s largest artillery manufacturing capacity. In three years from now, we will produce one gun per day,” said Baba Kalyani, Chairman of Kalyani Group, the parent of Bharat Forge Limited.
The group currently produces about six guns in 30 days at present. “The capital investment has already been done. Now we need to increase the volumes,” said Kalyani at the DefExpo 2022 at Gandhinagar on Tuesday.
Stating that the group has the technology to produce lighter guns with the same fire power as a heavy ones, Kalyani stated that the trend for ‘shoot-and-scoot’ guns is growing globally.
“In future Indian armed forces may go for lighter guns such as mounted guns etc. And we have the technology that no body else has today,” said Kalyani.
Later in the day, Bharat Forge Limited announced a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with General Atomics, US, to collaborate on a Lithium-Ion Battery System for naval platforms/submarines to address the requirements of the Indian Navy.
General Systems is a global leader in the research, design, and manufacture of a diverse portfolio of electromagnetic and advanced power and energy technologies.
Under the terms of the MOU, Bharat Forge and General Atomics’ Electromagnetic Systems Group (GA-EMS) will partner with each other in the area of permanent magnet motors.
“We have been relentlessly working towards bringing niche technologies in the country with the aim of making Indian self-reliant in defence verticals. GA is a market leader for in-service Li-Ion Battery solutions for naval platforms/submarines and and our partnership with General Atomics is a firm step in the direction to develop Make in India solutions for Indian Navy and setting up a strong defence technology and manufacturing vertical within India,” Kalyani said.
Commenting on the signing of the MoU, Scott Forney, president of GA-EMS, said, “Our Li-Ion battery system has been developed after 10 years of rigorous R&D. Instead of the usual ‘fault prevention’, our design philosophy is based on assuming a fault and requiring fault containment’, which has made our system extremely safe and reliable.”