Bharat Forge Limited, Pune has inked the largest domestic contract for supply of 184 indigenously developed Artillery Systems – ATAGS with the Ministry of Defence (MoD), yesterday (March 26, 2025). This accounts for 60% of the Rs.6,900 Cr. procurement by the MoD. The Advanced Towed Artillery Gun System (ATAGS) jointly developed with DRDO is the most advanced 155/52 mm calibre artillery system.
On the occasion, Baba Kalyani CMD, Bharat Forge Limited mentioned that it was a proud moment for the company. It is also a testament to the Honourable Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s vision of an Aatmanirbhar Bharat in Defence. He said, “We sincerely appreciate the unwavering support of the MoD, the Indian Army, DRDO, ARDE and our team at Bharat Forge for their invaluable efforts and collaboration.”
“We sincerely appreciate the unwavering support of the MoD, the Indian Army, DRDO, ARDE and our team at Bharat Forge for their invaluable efforts and collaboration.”- Baba Kalyani CMD, Bharat Forge Limited
Bharat Forge Limited (BFL), a Pune-based Indian multinational, is a technology driven global leader in providing high performance, innovative safety critical components and solutions for several sectors including automotive, power, oil and gas, construction & mining, rail, marine, defence, and aerospace. BFL has global manufacturing footprint with presence across five countries, with the largest repository of metallurgical knowledge and offers full-service supply capability to its geographically dispersed marquee customers from concept to product design, engineering, manufacturing, testing and validation.
The contracts with Bharat Forge Limited and Tata Advanced System Limited for the procurement of 155mm/52 Calibre Advanced Towed Artillery Gun Systems (ATAGS) and High Mobility Vehicle 6×6 Gun Towing Vehicles respectively were signed in the presence of Defence Secretary Shri Rajesh Kumar Singh at South Block in New Delhi.
With the signing, total contracts worth Rs 1.40 lakh crore have been signed by MoD for capital procurement till date in the current financial year. During the contract signing, the Project Director of ATAGS from DRDO’s Armament Research and Development Establishment, Pune who played a pivotal role in the realisation of the project was felicitated by the Defence Secretary as an honour for his immense contribution to the project.
The 155 mm/52 Calibre ATAGS will replace the vintage and smaller calibre guns and enhance the artillery capabilities of the Indian Army. The procurement of this gun system marks a significant milestone in the modernisation of the Artillery Regiments, enhancing operational readiness. ATAGS, renowned for its exceptional lethality, will play a crucial role in bolstering the Army’s firepower by enabling precise and long-range strikes.
The 155 mm/52 Caliber ATAGS will replace the vintage and smaller caliber guns and enhance the artillery capabilities of the Indian Army. The procurement of this gun system marks a significant milestone in the modernisation of the Artillery Regiments, enhancing operational readiness
Being the first major procurement of towed guns from the private sector by the Indian Army, the project will provide a boost to the Indian gun manufacturing industry in particular, and the indigenous defence manufacturing eco-system as a whole. This project is a proud flag-bearer of Aatmanirbhar Bharat by significantly contributing to employment generation and economic growth in consonance with the Make in India initiative.
