Rajasthan to Manufacture Rifles and Machine Guns

• 03 Jun 2025

Why in News? 

Under the ‘Make in India’ and ‘Rising Rajasthan’ initiatives, Rajasthan secured defence clearance for projects worth over Rs 1500 crore. 

• It marks a significant milestone for the state’s defence manufacturing sector, positioning it as a key player in India’s defence production and exports.

Key Points 

• Rajasthan’s Role in Defence Manufacturing: 
  • Gun parts will be manufactured in locations like Jodhpur and Jaipur, with barrels produced at a specialised facility in Boranada, Jodhpur—ensuring supply chain security through a decentralised, infrastructure-driven approach. 
    • A key challenge is meeting safety norms for ammunition storage, which requires facilities to be 8–10 km from inhabited areas; the government is being approached for suitable land allocation. 
• Advanced Weapon Systems Under Production: 
  • Military-Grade Sniper Rifle: Engineered for long-range precision with sub-minute of angle (MOA) accuracy up to 2.4 km, this fully indigenous weapon is built to perform reliably across diverse environments. 
  • Multi-Barrel Machine Gun: Boasting a firing rate of 6,000 rounds per minute and a 1,000-yard range, it can fire 15,000 rounds per belt, with future upgrades planned for C-RAM (Counter Rocket, Artillery, and Mortar) and anti-aircraft roles. 
• Significance for India’s Defence Ecosystem: 
  • Alignment with ‘Make in India’: The initiative embodies India’s vision of self-reliance in defence manufacturing by producing fully indigenous, cutting-edge weapon systems. 
  • Decentralised and Robust Production: Multiple production hubs reduce risk, improve security, and leverage regional industrial infrastructure, contributing to resilience in the supply chain. 
  • Boost to Defence Start-ups: Involvement of defence startups in the project reflects the growing role of innovation and private sector participation in the defence sector. 
  • Export Potential: Early interest from countries such as Togo and Thailand indicates promising export opportunities, supporting India’s goal to become a global defence supplier. 
  • Complement to Existing Defence Production: Following Uttar Pradesh’s success with BrahMos missile production, Rajasthan’s entry into small arms manufacturing diversifies India’s defence production capabilities.

BrahMos Missile

• The BrahMos missile, which has a range of 290 km, is an Indo-Russian joint venture and is the world's fastest cruise missile with a top speed of Mach 2.8 (about three times the speed of sound).  
  • BrahMos is named after the Brahmaputra (India) and Moskva (Russia) rivers.  
• It is a two-stage missile (solid propellant engine in the first stage and liquid ramjet in the second stage).  
• It is a multiplatform missile i.e. it can be launched from land, air and sea and is a multi-capability missile with high accuracy which operates both during day and night irrespective of weather conditions .  
• It operates on the "fire and forgets" principle i.e. it does not require guidance after launch.  
• Vietnam, the United Arab Emirates and Indonesia are among other potential customers for the BrahMos missile. 

‘Make in India’ Initiative 

• About: The campaign was launched to facilitate investment, foster innovation, enhance skill development, protect intellectual property & build best-in-class manufacturing infrastructure.  
• Objectives:  
  • Increase the growth rate of the manufacturing sector to 12-14% per annum.  
  • Create 100 million additional manufacturing jobs by 2022 (revised to 2025).  
  • Increase the manufacturing sector's contribution to GDP to 25% by 2025.  
• Pillars of ‘Make in India’:  
  • New Processes: Recognized 'ease of doing business' as vital for entrepreneurship, implementing measures to improve the business environment for startups and established enterprises.  
  • New Infrastructure: The government prioritised developing industrial corridors and smart cities to create world-class infrastructure.   
    • It also enhanced innovation and research through streamlined registration systems and improved intellectual property rights (IPR) infrastructure.  
• Make in India 2.0: The ongoing "Make in India 2.0" phase, encompassing 27 sectors, continues to propel the program forward, consolidating India’s role as a significant player in the global manufacturing arena.