Atmanirbhar push: India's home-gown artillery ammo to enter trials, focus on cutting imports: Report

India is steadily progressing toward self-reliance in artillery ammunition, with its first indigenously designed and developed rounds nearing completion, an Economic Times report said on Tuesday. As part of a Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) initiative aimed at reducing dependence on imports, multiple successful firing trials have already been conducted, the ET report added.

As per the sources cited by the ET, four different variants of 155 mm artillery ammunition have undergone testing over the past two years, all of which have met or exceeded the Indian Army’s performance benchmarks. These include high-explosive rounds, smoke rounds, and dual-purpose improved conventional munition (DPICM) rounds, the latter being capable of engaging broader target areas, the report further said.

The final phase—development-cum-user trials—is scheduled for November. Once completed, these ammunition types will be ready for mass production and induction into Army service. "The development is nearly complete, and we are now preparing for user trials," a source noted, adding that the Army has been actively involved throughout the project.

This ammunition is being developed under the Development Cum Production Partner (DCPP) framework, which involves collaboration with two industrial partners who initially created prototypes and will later handle bulk production. India faces substantial domestic and international demand for artillery ammunition, with projected requirements stretching over the next 15 years and significant export potential—estimated in the thousands of rounds.

The two industrial partners selected for the program are state-run SAI Ammunition India Limited and private-sector firm Economic Explosives, a subsidiary of Reliance Infrastructure. Both companies have worked closely with DRDO over the past two years to bring these indigenous ammunition variants to fruition.