Ordnance Factory Board

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.[23] 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.[24]

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,[25][26] first modern electric textile mill of India, first chemical industries of India,[27] established the first engineering colleges of India, as its training schools,[28] sparked India's first war of independence in 1857 with its rifles and bullets,[29][30] and also played key role in the founding of research and industrial organisations like ISRO, DRDO, BDL, BEL, BEML, SAIL, etc.[31][32]

• 1712 – Establishment of the Dutch Ostend Company's Gun Powder Factory at Ichhapur.[23]
• 1775 – Establishment of the Board of Ordnance at Fort William, Kolkata.
• 1787 – Establishment of the Gun Powder Factory at Ishapore.
• 1791 – Production of Gun Powder begins at Ishapore.
• 1801 – Establishment of Gun Carriage Agency at Cossipore, Kolkata.
• 1802 – Production begins at Cossipore on 18 March.
• 1935 – Indian Ordnance Service was introduced to administer the whole Defence Production Industry of India.
• 1954 – Indian Ordnance Service (IOS) renamed to Indian Ordnance Factories Service (IOFS).
• 1979 – Ordnance Factory Board is established on 2 April.

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.[33][34] 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:[35][36]

• Advanced Weapons and Equipment India Limited (AWE)
• Armoured Vehicles Nigam Limited (AVANI)
• Gliders India Limited (GIL)
• India Optel Limited (IOL)
• Munitions India Limited (MIL)
• Troop Comforts Limited (TCL)
• Yantra India Limited (YIL)

The new companies were launched and dedicated to the nation on 15 October 2021.[37]

• Ordnance Factory Board, Kolkata
• Armoured Vehicles Headquarters, Chennai
• Ordnance Equipment Factories Headquarters, Kanpur
• Ordnance Factory Board, New Delhi Office
• Ordnance Factory Cell, Mumbai
• Ordnance Factories Recruitment Centre, Nagpur

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:

• Ammunition and Explosives
• Weapons, Vehicles & Equipment
• Materials and Components
• Armoured Vehicles
• Ordnance Equipment Group of Factories

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.

• National Academy of Defence Production

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[41]

• Indo-Russia Rifles Private Limited (IRRPL), Amethi

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.[42]

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:

• IOF .22 revolver
• IOF .32 revolver (7.65 mm X 23)
• IOF .32 revolver Nirbheek
• IOF .32 pistol Ashani
• IOF .22 sporting rifle
• IOF .315 sporting rifle
• IOF .30-06 sporting rifle

• Cartridge Rimfire .22" Ball
• Cartridge SA .32" Revolver
• Cartridge SA .315" and .30-06 Ball
• Cartridge SA 12 Bore 70mm
• Cartridge SA 12 Bore 65 mm Special

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.[45][46] 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.[19][47]

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.[48][49][50][51] Public Sector Undertakings in India (PSUs) such as HMT Limited, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited, Bharat Dynamics Limited,[52] 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.[53]

Arms and ammunition, weapon spares, chemicals and explosives, parachutes, leather and clothing items were exported to more than 30 countries worldwide.

• Asia: Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Vietnam, Nepal, Singapore
• Europe: Germany, Belgium, Cyprus, Greece, Turkey, Russia, Sweden, France, Switzerland, United Kingdom
• Middle East: Oman, Egypt, Israel, Saudi Arabia, UAE
• Africa: Kenya, Botswana, Nigeria
• North and South America: United States, Canada, Brazil, Chile, Suriname[53][54][55][56]