Indian Army Orders More Than 400,000 Carbines

India’s government has signed several major contracts for new small arms to equip its armed forces. Two contracts totalling Rs 2,770 crore or $307 million have been signed to provide India’s military with approximately 425,000 5.56x45mm CQB Carbines, ostensibly to replace India's obsolescent SAF 1A1 9x19mm submachine guns.

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The major order is split between Bharat Forge Limited (BFL) which has secured a contract worth Rs 1,661.9 crore ($184 million) for the supply of 255,000 carbines. While PLR Systems Pvt Ltd will deliver the remaining 40 percent of the Indian Ministry of Defence’s order, roughly 170,000 units as part of a contract valued at around Rs 1,108 crore ($123 million). Bharat Forge Ltd’s submission was reportedly the lowest bidder in the carbine tender with the PLR Systems submission coming in second. The two carbines were selected in summer 2025 from a field of more than half a dozen submissions.

The contract award announcement stated that:

“As a cornerstone of the modern infantry arsenal, the CQB Carbine provides a critical edge in close combat through its compact design and high rate of fire, ensuring rapid, decisive lethality in confined spaces. The contract highlights the synergy between the Government and the private sector which will further give impetus to the Make-in-India initiative. This project will also play a pivotal role in boosting overall economy, increasing employment avenues and will also empower indigenous defence industries by encouraging Indian MSMEs through components' manufacturing and raw material supply.”

The move comes as part of a recent wave of defense investments approved by the Indian government adding up to approximately $9.5 billion worth of contracts. The Indian government’s announcement described the signing of the small arms contracts as “the culmination of an extraordinary, persistent effort to equip Indian soldiers with world-class lethality, replacing legacy systems with cutting-edge indigenous technology under the ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ vision.”

The contract awards follow years of false starts for India’s complex efforts to replace its much maligned INSAS rifle. India’s geography and the environments it finds itself (and anticipates) operating in mean that its army has some complex requirements. This has led to a series of programs launched to either develop or procure suitable infantry weapons since the 2010s. Indian efforts eventually saw the procurement of more than 130,000 SIG 716is (with the latest order placed in 2024) and the selection of Kalashnikov Concerns AK-203 as a general service carbine to be produced in India. India plans to produce over 700,000 AK-203s and Kalashnikov completed delivery of the necessary tooling in 2023. The new CQB Carbine order actually finally fulfils an RFI which was first issued by the Indian Ministry of Defence back in 2018.

The Indian government’s announcement didn’t state the exact models that the contracts covered. From the low-resolution image taken at the contract signing, however, it appears that the Indian Army and the Indian Navy will receive rifles the DRDO Close Quarter Battle Carbine from Bharat Forge Ltd and PLR Systems Pvt Ltd. (who partnered with Israel’s IWI in 2017) will provide a carbine variant of the Galil ACE, possibly the  ACE-N 21.

A quoted statement from IWI, shared by Israeldefense.co.il, stated:

“As part of this program, IWI has transferred advanced technology and manufacturing know-how to PLR, which will produce the carbines locally. Local production underscores the company’s strong commitment to the Government of India’s ‘Make in India’ initiative, while strengthening domestic defense manufacturing capabilities and supporting India’s strategic self-reliance.”

While the Galil ACE has been around for nearly 20 years and has been procured by nations around the world, the DRDO Close Quarter Battle Carbine is a new weapon system. Developed in India by the Armament Research and Development Establishment (ARDE) it represents a new enterprise between state-owned design entities and private industry manufacturing. In a press release Bharat Forge Ltd. emphasised that the weapon was completely:

“indigenously designed, developed, and manufactured (IDDM) compact firearm jointly developed by Armament Research & Development Establishment (ARDE), DRDO and Bharat Forge Ltd., Pune. Aligned with the Atmanirbhar Bharat mission, we – BFL, and our whollyowned defence subsidiary Kalyani Strategic Systems Limited (KSSL), remain dedicated to equipping the Indian Armed Forces with ‘Made in India’ advanced defence equipment and platforms.”

Details on the Bharat Forge-manufactured DRDO CQB carbine are somewhat limited but it reportedly weighs 3.3kg (7.3lbs), is gas-operated with a long-stroke gas piston system and appears to share similarities to the DRDO’s Excalibur rifle unveiled in the the mid-2000s. Developed by a team led by Gaurav Verma, joint director of ARDE, it feeds from a 30-round magazine, has a rate of fire of ~600rpm, has hinged receiver groups, a side-folding stock and an overall length under 800mm, and is select fire. The weapon has a folding, left-side charging handle and a full-length Picatinny top rail and rail mounting points on its forend, it also has fixed iron sights.

The selection of the two new 5.56x45mm carbines is a major step for the Indian Armed forces which have been labouring with obsolescent small arms for over a decade. The contracts are set to be fulfilled over the next 5 to 10 years.