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In a major boost to the homegrown defence industry, two prominent weapons manufacturers have been given a prestigious contract to supply made-in-India 155 cannon guns.

It was announced that Bharat Forge Limited and Tata Advance Systems Limited will supply 155/52 Calibre artillery guns for Army at an estimated cost of Rs 6,900 crore.

These 155 mm guns are known as Advanced Towed Artillery Gun Systems (ATAGS) attached with High Mobility Vehicle 6×6 Gun Towing Vehicles.

The contracts were signed in the presence of Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh at South Block in New Delhi on Wednesday the 26th of March 2025.

The 155 mm/52 Calibre ATAGS will replace the vintage and smaller calibre guns and enhance the artillery capabilities of the Indian Army.

The procurement of this gun system marks a significant milestone in the modernisation of the Artillery Regiments, enhancing operational readiness. ATAGS, renowned for its exceptional lethality, will play a crucial role in bolstering the Army’s firepower by enabling precise and long-range strikes.

Being the first major procurement of towed guns from the private sector by the Indian Army, the project will provide a boost to the Indian gun manufacturing industry in particular and the indigenous defence manufacturing eco-system as a whole.

With the signing, total contracts worth Rs 1.40 lakh crore have been signed by MoD for capital procurement till date in the current Financial Year 2024-25.

Various reports have suggested that Army will get about 307 units of these guns.

The order is reported to have been split as 60:40 between Bharat Forge and Tatas.

Bharat Forge was L1 and Tatas agreed to match their pricing.