Make in India hits the mark! MoD seals ₹6,900 crore deal with Bharat Forge & Tata for India’s next-gen ATAGS artillery
Bharat Forge Limited and Tata Advanced Systems Limited to enhance the Indian Army’s artillery capabilities. These deals, worth approximately Rs 6,900 crore, will provide the Army with 155mm/52 calibre Advanced Towed Artillery Gun Systems (ATAGS) and High Mobility Vehicle 6x6 Gun Towing Vehicles. The signing ceremony took place on 26 March 2025 in New Delhi, in the presence of Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh.
With this procurement, the MoD’s total capital contracts for the financial year 2024-25 have reached Rs 1.40 lakh crore. The event also saw the Defence Secretary felicitate the Project Director of ATAGS from the Defence Research and Development Organisation’s (DRDO) Armament Research and Development Establishment, Pune, in recognition of his role in the project’s success.
Modernising Artillery: ATAGS and Its Strategic Importance
The ATAGS is designed to replace the Army’s ageing artillery guns with a more advanced and powerful system. Capable of striking targets up to 48 kilometres away, these guns will significantly boost the Army’s firepower and precision. As part of a larger push to enhance mobility, these guns are also being adapted into Mounted Gun Systems (MGS) by integrating them onto trucks. The trials for MGS are expected to conclude by 2026.
This procurement is the first major instance of the private sector supplying towed guns to the Army, a milestone in India’s defence manufacturing sector. Bharat Forge will manufacture 60% of the guns, while Tata Advanced Systems Limited will produce the remaining 40%.
Clearance from the Cabinet Committee on Security
The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS), led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved the Rs 7,000 crore ATAGS deal. The Army has been planning to
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