Adani Defence and Aerospace on Saturday delivered the first batch of 2,000 Prahar light machine guns (LMGs), manufactured under the Make in India initiative, to the army.
The company manufactures the 7.62 mm-calibre weapon at its Small Arms Complex located on the outskirts of Gwalior.
A ceremony was held on the factory premises on Saturday to hand over the LMGs to the army. A. Anbarasu, DG Acquisition, ministry of defence; Adani Defence and Aerospace CEO Ashish Rajvanshi and other senior officials of the private firm were present.
Anbarasu later flagged off a series of trucks carrying the first batch of the LMGs meant for the army."
The journey that has begun today took us six years, starting from bid submission, and we have delivered it 11 months ahead of schedule," Rajvanshi said.
"The original timeline, which was given to us by the customer, was over seven years, but I can assure you that in the next three years the full order will be delivered.”
A company spokesperson said the total order for the LMGs stands at around 40,000.
Anbarasu praised the firm 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.
The government stands shoulder-to-shoulder with defence industry partners, he said.
