Big Boost To Indian Private Defence Industry: EEL Gets Contract To Supply 10 Lakh Modern Hand Grenades

In a massive boost to the Government's push for domestic and indigenous defence manufacturing, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) headed by Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh has placed orders for supply of ten lakh hand grenades with private sector player Economic Explosive Limited (EEL), reports Economic Times.

This gains significance as the new grenades will replace the World War II vintage design Grenade No 36, which are still in usage with the armed forces. This marks a major change from the past when similar grenades used to be either imported or made by the Ordnance Factory Board (OFB).

The contract awarded to EEL will have a spread of two years and has a value of Rs 400 crore. Over the two years, EEL will manufacture the multi-mode hand grenades (MMHGs) developed by the Terminal Ballistics Research Laboratory of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).

DRDO had transferred the technology to EEL back in 2016, following which extensive trials were carried out by the Indian Army in all weather conditions, including in deserts, plains and high altitude areas.

The MMHGs will be completely made in India, at a comparative production costs lesser than that in case of the OFB. The grenades will be supplied to the Indian Army and the Indian Air Force.