The first batch of Multi-Mode Hand Grenades handed over to the Indian Army in the presence of Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh in Nagpur

Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh terms it a shining example of public-private partnership to achieve self-reliance in defence manufacturing

Key highlights:

• Grenade manufactured by Economic Explosives Limited Co following Transfer of Technology from a DRDO lab
• MMHG works in both offensive & defensive modes with high accuracy and reliability
• Raksha Mantri calls it an important milestone in defence manufacturing and a big step towards ‘AatmaNirbhar Bharat’
• Defence exports in last two years cross Rs 17,000 crore

The first batch of Multi-Mode Hand Grenades (MMHG), manufactured by Economic Explosives Limited (EEL) following Transfer of Technology from Terminal Ballistics Research Laboratory of Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO), was handed over to the Indian Army in the presence of Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh in Nagpur, Maharashtra on August 24, 2021. 

Chairman of EEL Shri S N Nuwal handed over a scale replica of MMHG to the Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh to mark the first delivery of ammunition from the private sector. Chief of the Army Staff General M M Naravane, Secretary, Department of Defence R&D and Chairman DRDO Dr. G Satheesh Reddy, and DG Infantry Lt Gen A K Samantra were among those present on the occasion.

Addressing the gathering, Shri Rajnath Singh termed the handing over of MMHG as a shining example of the increasing collaboration between the public & private sectors and a big step towards self-reliance in defense manufacturing. “Today is a memorable day in the history of the Indian defense sector. Our private industry is coming of age when it comes to defense production. It is an important milestone not only in the field of defense manufacturing but also in achieving ‘AatmaNirbhar Bharat’ as envisioned by our Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi,” he said. The Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh lauded DRDO & EEL for the speedy delivery of the order amidst COVID-19 restrictions and hoped for faster delivery of the next lot.

The Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh listed out the measures undertaken by the Government to transform the defense sector into a self-reliant industry that can cater to the present and the future needs of the Armed Forces. These include setting up of Defence Industrial Corridors in Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu; formulation of draft Defence Production and Export Promotion Policy (DPEPP) 2020;

Earmarking around 64 percent of its modernization funds under capital acquisition budget for 2021-22 for procurement from domestic companies; notifying two Positive Indigenisation Lists of over 200 defense items to promote self-reliance & defense exports; Corporatisation of Ordnance Factory Board (OFB); increasing FDI limit from 49 to 74 percent under automatic route and beyond 74 percent through government route and according to top priority to ‘Buy {Indian-IDDM (Indigenously Designed, Developed and Manufactured)}’ category for capital procurement.

Shri Rajnath Singh made special mention of another initiative taken by the Government, i.e., Technology Transfer to Industries by DRDO. Describing the measure as the backbone of the defense industry, he lauded DRDO for being an incubator that is undertaking free of cost transfer of technologies as well as providing access to testing facilities and over 450 patents. This has not only enabled the Industry to use ready-to-use technologies but has also saved time, energy, and money, he said.

The Raksha Mantri also underlined the importance of Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX) saying that it aims to achieve self-reliance and foster innovation & technology development in defense and aerospace sectors by engaging Industries including MSMEs, start-ups, individual innovators, R&D institutes, and academia. Under this initiative, the problems being faced by the Armed Forces, Defence Public Sector Undertakings, and OFB are identified and brought before entrepreneurs, MSMEs, start-ups, and innovators through Defence India Startup Challenge (DISC) to find solutions.

Shri Rajnath Singh commended the Industry for indigenously developing products like ‘Multi-Mode Grenade’, ‘Arjun-Mark-1’ tank, ‘Unmanned Surface Vehicle’ and ‘See-Through Armor’. “Such products are not just being produced but exported on a large scale. The number of online export authorizations during 2016-17 to 2018-19 was 1,210. It has increased to 1,774 in the last two years. This has resulted in defense exports of over Rs 17,000 crore in the last two years,” he added. Shri Rajnath Singh exuded confidence that soon India will manufacture defense products not just for domestic use, but for the whole world.

The grenade is not just more lethal but is safer to use. It has a distinctive design that gives the flexibility of employment in both defensives (fragmentation) and offensive (stun) modes. It has a highly accurate delay time, very high reliability in usage, and is safe for carriage. These new grenades will replace Grenade No 36 of World War I vintage design, which had been continuing in service to date.

 The EEL had signed a contract with the Ministry of Defence on October 01, 2020, to supply 10 lakh modern hand grenades for the Indian Army and Indian Air Force. The deliveries would be spread over two years from the bulk production clearance, which was accorded to EEL in March 2021. The first order has been delivered within five months.

The EEL had taken the technology from DRDO in 2016, absorbed it successfully while maintaining very high quality in detonics. Extensive trials were successfully undertaken by the Indian Army and Directorate General of Quality Assurance (DGQA) in 2017-18 in plains, deserts, and high altitudes over summer & winter.       

dislciamer : this is an official press release by pib.