Industry | Defence Production |
---|---|
Founded | 1712 April 1979 as OFB [1] [2] | 2
Defunct | 1 October 2021 [3] |
Fate | Corporatised |
Successors | Directorate of Ordnance (Coordination & Services) |
Headquarters | Ayudh Bhawan, Kolkata |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Sudhir Srivastava, IOFS (Director General) [4] |
Products | Small arms, aircraft weapons, anti-aircraft warfare, naval weapons, anti-ship warfare, anti-submarine warfare, anti-tank warfare, missiles, missile launchers, rockets, rocket launchers, bombs, grenades, mortars, mines, metals, alloys, machine tools, military vehicles, engines, armoured vehicles, parachutes, optoelectronics, chemicals, clothing, artillery, ammunition, propellants, explosives |
Revenue | US$3 billion (₹22,389.22 crores) (2020–21) [2] [5] [6] [7] |
Number of employees | ~80,000 [8] |
Website |
The Directorate of Ordnance (Coordination & Services) (abbreviated: DOO(C&S)) is an authority under the Department of Defence Production (DDP) of Ministry of Defence (MoD), Government of India. [9] Its primary work is to management, give instructions and make coordination of government Ordance production public companies. It is the main regulatory body of Indian Ordnance and its administration civil service, Indian Ordnance Factories Service (IOFS). The DOO(C&S) earlier known as Ordnance Factory Board (OFB), consisting of the Indian Ordnance Factories. In 2021, Government having corporatise the functions of the 41 Indian Ordnance Factories into 7 Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs), the Government is merging them again in 2024, as the output of one factory serves as the input of the other. [10] [11]
OFB was the 37th-largest defence equipment manufacturer in the world, 2nd-largest in Asia, and the largest in India. [12] OFB was the world's largest government-operated production organisation, [13] and the oldest organisation in India. [14] [15] It had a total workforce of about 80,000. [8] It was often called the "Fourth Arm of Defence", [16] [17] [18] and the "Force Behind the Armed Forces" of India. [19] [20] Its total sales were at US$3 billion (₹22,389.22 crores) in the year 2020–'21. [2]
It was engaged in research, development, production, testing, marketing and logistics of a product range in the areas of air, land and sea systems. OFB consisted of forty-one ordnance factories, nine training institutes, three regional marketing centres and four regional controllerates of safety, which are spread all across the country. [21] [22] Every year, 18 March is celebrated as the Ordnance Factory Day in India. [23] [24]
The Indian Ordnance Factories predate all the other organisations like the Indian Army and the Indian Railways by over a century. The first Indian ordnance factory can trace its origins back to the year 1712 when the Dutch Ostend Company established a Gun Powder Factory in Ichhapur. [25] In 1787, another gunpowder factory was established at Ichapore; it began production in 1791, and the site was later used as a rifle factory, beginning in 1904. In 1801, Gun Carriage Agency (now known as Gun & Shell Factory, Cossipore) was established at Cossipore, Calcutta, and production began on 18 March 1802. This is the oldest ordnance factory in India still in existence. [26]
The Indian Ordnance Factories have not only supported India through the wars, but also played an important role in building India, with the advancement of technology, and have ushered the Industrial Revolution in India, starting with the first modern steel, aluminium, copper plants of India, [27] [28] first modern electric textile mill of India, first chemical industries of India, [29] established the first engineering colleges of India, as its training schools, [30] sparked India's first war of independence in 1857 with its rifles and bullets, [31] [32] and also played key role in the founding of research and industrial organisations like ISRO, DRDO, BDL, BEL, BEML, SAIL, etc. [33] [34]
On 17 June 2021, the Defence Ministry announced its plans to split the existing five operating divisions of OFB, in addition to parachutes and opto-electronics, into seven PSUs, wholly owned by the government. It was mentioned that all existing factories and employees will become a part of these seven PSUs. [35] [36] From 1 October 2021, OFB has been dissolved and all the management, control, operations and maintenance has been transferred to 7 newly formed Defence PSUs, namely: [37] [38]
The new companies were launched and dedicated to the nation on 15 October 2021. [39]
The Government is merging them again in 2024, as the output of one factory serves as the input of the other. [10] [11]
The Apex Board was headed by the Director General of Ordnance Factories (DGOF), who acts as the chairman of the board (ex officio Secretary to Government of India) and consisted of nine other members, who each held the rank of Additional DGOF. Ordnance factories were divided into five operating divisions, depending upon the type of the main products/technologies employed.
These were:
Each of the above group of factories was headed by a Member/Additional DGOF who was in the rank of Special Secretary to Government of India. The four remaining members were responsible for staff functions, viz personnel, finance, planning and material management, and technical services, and they operated from Kolkata.
Each ordnance factory was headed by a General Manager who is in the rank of Additional Secretary to the Government of India.
Factory | Location | State | Defence PSU |
---|---|---|---|
Ammunition Factory, Khadki (AFK) | Pune | Maharashtra | Munitions India Limited |
Cordite Factory, Aruvankadu (CFA) | Aruvankadu | Tamil Nadu | Munitions India Limited |
Engine Factory, Avadi (EFA) | Chennai | Tamil Nadu | Armoured Vehicles Nigam Limited |
Field Gun Factory, Kanpur (FGK) | Kanpur | Uttar Pradesh | Advanced Weapons and Equipment India Limited |
Gun Carriage Factory, Jabalpur (GCF) | Jabalpur | Madhya Pradesh | Advanced Weapons and Equipment India Limited |
Grey Iron Foundry (GIF) | Jabalpur | Madhya Pradesh | Yantra India Limited |
Gun and Shell Factory, Cossipore (GSF) | Kolkata | West Bengal | Advanced Weapons and Equipment India Limited |
Heavy Alloy Penetrator Project (HAPP) | Tiruchirappalli | Tamil Nadu | Munitions India Limited |
High Explosives Factory (HEF) | Pune | Maharashtra | Munitions India Limited |
Heavy Vehicles Factory, Chennai (HVF) | Chennai | Tamil Nadu | Armoured Vehicles Nigam Limited |
Machine Tool Prototype Factory Ambernath (MPF) | Mumbai | Maharashtra | Armoured Vehicles Nigam Limited |
Metal and Steel Factory (MSF) | Ishapore | West Bengal | Yantra India Limited |
Ordnance Clothing Factory Avadi (OCFAV) | Chennai | Tamil Nadu | Troop Comforts Limited |
Ordnance Factory Chandigarh (OCFC) | Chandigarh | Chandigarh | India Optel Limited |
Ordnance Clothing Factory (OCFS) | Shahjahanpur | Uttar Pradesh | Troop Comforts Limited |
Ordnance Equipment Factory Kanpur (OEFC) | Kanpur | Uttar Pradesh | Troop Comforts Limited |
Ordnance Equipment Factory Hazratpur (OEFHZ) | Hazratpur | Uttar Pradesh | Troop Comforts Limited |
Ordnance Factory Ambernath (OFA) | Mumbai | Maharashtra | Yantra India Limited |
Ordnance Factory Ambajhari (OFAJ) | Nagpur | Maharashtra | Yantra India Limited |
Ordnance Factory Bhandara (OFBA) | Bhandara | Maharashtra | Munitions India Limited |
Ordnance Factory Bhusawal (OFBH) | Bhusawal | Maharashtra | Yantra India Limited |
Ordnance Factory Bolangir (OFBOL) | Bolangir | Odisha | Munitions India Limited |
Ordnance Factory Kanpur (OFC) | Kanpur | Uttar Pradesh | Advanced Weapons and Equipment India Limited |
Ordnance Factory Chandrapur (OFCH) | Chandrapur | Maharashtra | Munitions India Limited |
Ordnance Factory Dumdum (OFDC) | Kolkata | West Bengal | Yantra India Limited |
Ordnance Factory Dehu Road (OFDR) | Pune | Maharashtra | Munitions India Limited |
Ordnance Factory Dehradun (OFDUN) | Dehradun | Uttarakhand | India Optel Limited |
Ordnance Factory Itarsi (OFI) | Itarsi | Madhya Pradesh | Munitions India Limited |
Ordnance Factory Khamaria (OFK) | Jabalpur | Madhya Pradesh | Munitions India Limited |
Ordnance Factory Katni (OFKAT) | Katni | Madhya Pradesh | Yantra India Limited |
Ordnance Factory Muradnagar (OFM) | Muradnagar | Uttar Pradesh | Yantra India Limited |
Ordnance Factory Project (OFN) | Nalanda | Bihar | Munitions India Limited |
Ordnance Factory Project Korwa (OFPKR) | Korwa | Uttar Pradesh | Advanced Weapons and Equipment India Limited |
Ordnance Factory Project Medak (OFPM) | Hyderabad | Telangana | Armoured Vehicles Nigam Limited |
Ordnance Factory Tiruchirappalli (OFT) | Tiruchirappalli | Tamil Nadu | Advanced Weapons and Equipment India Limited |
Ordnance Factory Varangaon (OFV) | Varangaon | Maharashtra | Munitions India Limited |
Opto Electronics Factory (OLF) | Dehradun | Uttarakhand | India Optel Limited |
Ordnance Parachute Factory (OPF) | Kanpur | Uttar Pradesh | Gliders India Limited |
Rifle Factory Ishapore (RFI) | Ishapore | West Bengal | Advanced Weapons and Equipment India Limited |
Small Arms Factory (SAF) | Kanpur | Uttar Pradesh | Advanced Weapons and Equipment India Limited |
Vehicle Factory Jabalpur (VFJ) | Jabalpur | Madhya Pradesh | Armoured Vehicles Nigam Limited |
National Academy of Defence Production provides training to the IOFS officers in areas of technology, management, public administration as induction and re-orientation courses.
There were Ordnance Factories Institutes of Learning (OFILs) in Ambajhari, Ambernath, Avadi, Dehradun, Ishapore, Khamaria, Kanpur and Medak. Each OFIL was headed by a principal director, and NADP by a senior principal director. NADP provided training to Group A officers, whilst the other eight institutes imparted training to Group B and Group C employees of the ordnance factories. OFB had Regional marketing centres and Regional controllerates of safety as well.
In 2017, the Department of Defence Production under the Ministry of Defence opened itself to for Joint Ventures with OFB and DRDO was also tasked with identifying their products and patents, with the scope of commercial production [43]
A joint venture between Ordnance Factory Board (50.5%), Kalashnikov Concern (42%) and Rosonboronexport (7.5%) established to produce AK-203 (7.62×39mm) assault rifles intended for Indian Security Forces. [44]
The Indian Ordnance Factories Service ( IOFS ) is a civil service of the Government of India. IOFS officers are Gazetted (Group A) defence-civilian officers under the Ministry of Defence.
IOFS is a multi-disciplinary composite cadre consisting of technical – engineers (civil, electrical, mechanical, electronics), technologists (aerospace, automotive, marine, industrial/product design, computer, nuclear, optical, chemical, metallurgical, textile, leather) and non-technical/administrative (science, law, commerce, management and arts graduates). Technical posts account for about 87% of the total cadre. The doctors (surgeons and physicians) serving in OFB belong to a separate service known as the Indian Ordnance Factories Health Service (IOFHS). IOFHS officers are responsible for the maintenance of health of the employees, and the hospitals of OFB. They report directly to the IOFS officers. IOFS and IOFHS are the only two civil services under the Department of Defence Production. [45]
The type of ordnance material produced is very diverse, including various small arms to missiles, rockets, bombs, grenades, military vehicles, armoured vehicles, chemicals, optical devices, parachutes, mortars, artillery pieces plus all associated ammunition, propellants, explosives and fuses. [46]
Civilians are required to hold an Arms License (issued only for non-prohibited bore category weapons) in order to buy firearms in India. The following products of the Indian Ordnance Factories Board are available for civilians:
These products are exclusively manufactured for use by the armed forces and are not sold to civilians.
The prime customers of Indian Ordnance Factories were the Indian Armed Forces viz. Indian Army, Indian Navy and the Indian Air Force. [47] [48] Apart from supplying armaments to the Armed Forces, Ordnance Factories also meet the requirements of other customers viz. the Central Armed Police Forces, State Armed Police Forces, Paramilitary Forces of India and the Special Forces of India in respect of arms, ammunition, clothing, bullet proof vehicles, mine protected vehicles etc. [21] [49]
Customers are in the civil sector, central/state government organisations and departments such as Indian Railways, Indian Space Research Organisation, Defence Research and Development Organisation, Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre, Nuclear Fuel Complex, Aeronautical Development Agency, Department of Atomic Energy, Department of Telecommunications, and State Electricity Boards. [50] [51] [52] [53] Public Sector Undertakings in India (PSUs) such as HMT Limited, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited, Bharat Dynamics Limited, [54] private companies and individuals etc. who purchased industrial chemicals, explosives, arms, ammunition, brass ingots, aluminium alloy products for aircraft, steel castings and forgings, vehicles, clothing and leather goods, cables and opto-electronic instruments. [55]
Arms and ammunition, weapon spares, chemicals and explosives, parachutes, leather and clothing items were exported to more than 30 countries worldwide.
The Engineering Services Examination (ESE) is a standardized test conducted annually by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) to recruit officers to various engineering Services under the Government of India. Held in four categories—Civil, Mechanical, Electrical, and Electronics & Telecommunication, the exam has three stages comprising objective, subjective and personality tests. The Services are also informally known as Indian Engineering Services (IES).
The Rifle Factory Ishapore is an Indian state-owned arms manufacturing unit located at Ichhapur in the state of West Bengal.
Ichhapur Defence Estate is a census town in Barrackpore I CD Block in Barrackpore subdivision in North 24 Parganas district in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is a part of Kolkata Urban Agglomeration.
The Rifle 7.62mm 2A/2A1 is a 7.62×51mm NATO calibre bolt-action rifle adopted as a reserve arm by the Indian Armed Forces in 1963. The rifle is a variant of the Lee–Enfield rifle. The design of the rifle – initially the Rifle 7.62mm 2A – began at the Rifle Factory Ishapore of the Ordnance Factories Board in India, soon after the Sino-Indian War of 1962.
Tripura Police is the law enforcement agency of the state of Tripura which organizes and is responsible for policing activities in the state of Tripura, Northeast India. It was formed in the year 1965. Currently Shri Amitabh Ranjan, IPS is DGP of Tripura.
In India, the Armament Research & Development Establishment (ARDE) is a laboratory of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). Located in Pune, it is the main DRDO lab involved in the development of conventional armaments.
Vehicle Research and Development Establishment (VRDE) is a laboratory of the Defence Research & Development Organization (DRDO) located at Vahannagar near Ahmednagar. Its primary function is research and development of various light tracked, wheeled and specialised vehicles for defence applications.
Waman Dattatreya Patwardhan was an IOFS officer, nuclear chemist, defence scientist and an expert in the science of Explosives engineering. He was the founder director of the Explosives Research and Development Laboratory of India. He is considered one of the distinguished scientists in India due to his contributions to Indian space program, Indian nuclear program and missile program in their early stages. He developed the solid propellant for India's first space rocket launched at Thumba. He was responsible for developing the detonation system of India's first nuclear device which was successfully tested in 1974, an operation codenamed Smiling Buddha.
In India, the Civil Service is the collection of civil servants of the government who constitute the permanent executive branch of the country. This includes servants in the All India Services, the Central Civil Services, and various State Civil Services.
The IOF .315 sporting rifle is a civilian version of the British military Lee–Enfield rifle, chambered in the 8×50mmR Mannlicher cartridge rather than the .303 British military cartridge due to Indian gun control laws.
Vehicle Factory Jabalpur, is a military motor vehicle factory, located in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, India, part of Armoured Vehicles Nigam Limited which was previously a part of Ordnance Factory Board, controlled by the Ministry of Defence, Government of India.
Ordnance Factory Tiruchirappalli (OFT), also called Ordnance Factory Trichy, is a small arms factory operated by Advanced Weapons and Equipment India Limited based in Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu, which was previously part of Ordnance Factory Board of the Ministry of Defence, Government of India. The company is headed only by an IOFS officer called General Manager (ex officio Additional Secretary to Government of India) who is the chief executive officer, responsible for the overall management of the company.
Ordnance Factory Medak (OFMK), previously called Ordnance Factory Project Medak (OFPM) while in its development stage, is a factory owned by Armoured Vehicles Nigam Limited, a company that manufactures armoured vehicles and was one of the 41 Indian ordnance factories under the erstwhile Ordnance Factories Board of the Ministry of Defence, controlled by Government of India.
The Indian Ordnance Factories Service (IOFS) is a civil service of the Government of India. IOFS officers are Gazetted defence-civilian officers under the Ministry of Defence. They are responsible for the administration of the Indian Ordnance Factories, which provide the indigenous defence production capabilities of India.
Patna Police is the police service responsible for law enforcement within Patna district, including the capital city of Patna in an Indian state of Bihar. Patna Police is the largest police service in the state. Its headquarters are at Gandhi Maidan Marg in Patna. The present SSP of Patna Police is Rajeev Mishra (IPS).
Nalini Ranjan Mohanty is a retired IOFS officer and former Chairman & Managing Director of the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). He is a former president of the Aeronautical Society of India (ASI) and has been the chairman and managing director of Textron India. A Fellow of the ASI and the Institution of Engineers (India), Mohanty received the Ruchi Prativa Samman in 2003. The Government of India awarded him the fourth-highest civilian honour of the Padma Shri, in 2004, for his contributions to Indian industrial sector.
National Academy of Defence Production is a training and development institute incorporated under Ordnance Factory Board. It imparts training to the Group-A gazetted officers recruited under Indian Ordnance Factories Service.The academy also offers Group-A officers serving in various ordnance factories a mid-career training program.
Defence Research & Development Service (DRDS) is a Central Group 'A' Civil Service of the Government of India. DRDS scientists are Gazetted defence-civilian officers under the Ministry of Defence. They are responsible for developing new technologies and military hardware for the Indian defence and security forces.
Advanced Weapons and Equipment India Limited (AWEL) is an Indian defence public sector undertaking, headquartered in Kanpur, India. AWE primarily manufactures small arms and artillery guns for the Indian Armed Forces, foreign militaries, and domestic civilian use.
Yantra India Limited is an Indian major public sector defence company, headquartered in Nagpur, India. Established in 2021 as part of the government’s restructuring and corporatisation of the Ordnance Factory Board into seven different Public Sector Undertakings – the company consists of eight defence manufacturing factory units indigenously catering to the needs of supplies, arms, explosives, artillery and munition for the Indian Armed Forces.
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