India’s Largest Private Artillery Shell Unit To Begin Operations at Shirdi

Mumbai: A couple of days after successfully conducting trials of its indigenous ‘Suryastra’ Rocket Launcher Systems with ranges of 150 km and 300 km, the Nibe Group in Maharashtra is all set to add yet another feather to its hat as a major player in India’s defense sector. In a leading example of the ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ movement, Nibe Limited on Saturday will inaugurate its largest private sector manufacturing unit in artillery shell production in the country.

Nibe’s Defence Manufacturing Complex at Shirdi will produce nearly five lakh artillery shell hardware annually, which is the largest such capability in India’s private sector. The project will be inaugurated by the Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on May 23, Saturday, in the presence of Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan and Maharashtra Water Resources Minister Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil.

“The Shirdi unit will produce 155 mm and 120 mm artillery shell hardware, along with tank ammunition. Its operations are geared towards supporting the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative through indigenous production of military hardware,” said Ganesh Nibe, managing director of the Nibe Limited.

This is a fully indigenous facility built using Make in India technology. Our dependence on imports for both technology and raw materials is effectively zero, he added.

The 200-acre facility at Shirdi in Ahilyanagar district involves an initial investment of Rs 1,000 crore and is expected to generate employment for 2,000 people.

The opening of Shirdi DMC comes couple of days after Nibe Limited successfully conducted trials at Chandipur, Odisha for their long-range ‘Suryastra’ rocket variants. These multi-caliber rocket systems have ranges spanning up to 150 km and 300 km.

Along with this, the company, in response to modern drone warfare, is testing the Vayu Astra-1 - an indigenous ‘kamikaze drone’ or loitering munition designed to strike targets up to 100 km deep inside enemy territory.

“Our Shirdi facility is also expected to manufacture Rocket launcher systems, Artillery shell systems, Defence electronics, Drones and loitering munitions and Aerospace and aviation components,” said Nibe.

He further revealed that another ammunition complex in Ahilyanagar district is expected to be commissioned soon.

“We will manufacture TNT, RDX and HMX there,” he said, referring to key explosive materials used in ammunition production.

Vikhe Patil said that the Shirdi complex will play a major role in contributing to India’s security and defence preparedness. “Shirdi has been known as a centre of faith because of Sai Baba. But apart from being a centre of devotion, it is now developing as a centre of power with the new defence manufacturing complex,” he said.