In what comes as a major boost to India's attempts to modernise its armed forces, global arms manufacturer SIG Sauer which already supplied 72,400 SIG Sauer rifles to India, and received another order for an additional 73,000 rifles, is set to make a portion of these guns in India.
The company said by 2025, it plans to manufacture a complete product in India. It announced a partnership with Pune-based defence manufacturing entity Nibe Group, which specialises in manufacturing a wide spectrum of critical components catering to the defence industry, for the purpose.
Ron Cohen, CEO of Newington-based gun maker, told news agency ANI that the Indian troops are highly satisfied with the guns the company supplied following which an additional order of 73,000 rifles was received.
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The company will supply these rifles by 2025. "This will be executed in partnership with Ganesh Nibe and the Nibe Group, enabling us to bring out technology, quality innovation, and capacity to meet the substantial product demand projected for the next five to 10 years," said Cohen.
He noted that the company has been active in India for nearly 20 years and India became its largest procurement source worldwide. SIG Sauer envisions using India as a regional hub to serve the eastern hemisphere, according to news agency ANI.
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He said in 2025, the company will be producing a fully Indian-made product for the domestic market. "We see India as a source of engineering and manufacturing expertise. The growth of Indian technology and the market's potential make it an attractive hub for SIG Sauer beyond the United States," Cohen added.
Noting that the company is continually increasing the percentage of components manufactured in India he said the quality requirements of SIG Sauer are exceptionally strict and they find these standards met in India.