Ordnance Factory Board

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Ordnance Factory Board (OFB), consisting of the Indian Ordnance Factories, now known as Directorate of Ordnance (Coordination & Services), was an organisation, under the Department of Defence Production (DDP) of Ministry of Defence (MoD), Government of India.^[9]

Having converted the 41 Indian Ordnance Factories into 7 Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs) in 2021, the Government is merging them again in 2024, as the output of one factory serves as the input of the other.^[10][11]

OFB was the 37th-largest defence equipment manufacturer in the world, 2nd-largest in Asia, and the largest in India.^[12] OFB was the world's largest government-operated production organisation,^[13] and the oldest organisation in India.^[14][15] It had a total workforce of about 80,000.^[8] It was often called the "Fourth Arm of Defence",^[16][17][18] and the "Force Behind the Armed Forces" of India.^[19][20] Its total sales were at US$3 billion (₹22,389.22 crores) in the year 2020–'21.^[2]

It was engaged in research, development, production, testing, marketing and logistics of a product range in the areas of air, land and sea systems. OFB consisted of forty-one ordnance factories, nine training institutes, three regional marketing centres and four regional controllerates of safety, which are spread all across the country.^[21][22] Every year, 18 March is celebrated as the Ordnance Factory Day in India.^[23][24]

History

Origins

The Indian Ordnance Factories predate all the other organisations like the Indian Army and the Indian Railways by over a century. The first Indian ordnance factory can trace its origins back to the year 1712 when the Dutch Ostend Company established a Gun Powder Factory in Ichhapur.^[25] In 1787, another gunpowder factory was established at Ichapore; it began production in 1791, and the site was later used as a rifle factory, beginning in 1904. In 1801, Gun Carriage Agency (now known as Gun & Shell Factory, Cossipore) was established at Cossipore, Calcutta, and production began on 18 March 1802. This is the oldest ordnance factory in India still in existence.^[26]

Contributions

The Indian Ordnance Factories have not only supported India through the wars, but also played an important role in building India, with the advancement of technology, and have ushered the

• 1712 – Establishment of the Dutch
  Ichhapur.^[25]
• 1775 – Establishment of the Board of Ordnance at Fort William, Kolkata.
• 1787 – Establishment of the Gun Powder Factory at Ishapore.
• 1791 – Production of Gun Powder begins at Ishapore.
• 1801 – Establishment of Gun Carriage Agency at Cossipore, Kolkata.
• 1802 – Production begins at Cossipore on 18 March.
• 1935 – Indian Ordnance Service was introduced to administer the whole Defence Production Industry of India.
• 1954 – Indian Ordnance Service (IOS) renamed to Indian Ordnance Factories Service (IOFS).
• 1979 – Ordnance Factory Board is established on 2 April.

Restructuring OFB into seven DPSUs

On 17 June 2021, the Defence Ministry announced its plans to split the existing five operating divisions of OFB, in addition to parachutes and opto-electronics, into seven PSUs, wholly owned by the government. It was mentioned that all existing factories and employees will become a part of these seven PSUs.^[35][36] From 1 October 2021, OFB has been dissolved and all the management, control, operations and maintenance has been transferred to 7 newly formed Defence PSUs, namely:^[37][38]

• Advanced Weapons and Equipment India Limited
  (AWE)
• Armoured Vehicles Nigam Limited
  (AVANI)
• Gliders India Limited
  (GIL)
• India Optel Limited
  (IOL)
• Munitions India Limited
  (MIL)
• Troop Comforts Limited
  (TCL)
• Yantra India Limited
  (YIL)

The new companies were launched and dedicated to the nation on 15 October 2021.^[39]

The Government is merging them again in 2024, as the output of one factory serves as the input of the other.^[10][11]

Infrastructure and leadership of OFB

Headquarters

• Ordnance Factory Board, Kolkata
• Armoured Vehicles Headquarters, Chennai
• Ordnance Equipment Factories Headquarters, Kanpur
• Ordnance Factory Board, New Delhi Office
• Ordnance Factory Cell, Mumbai
• Ordnance Factories Recruitment Centre, Nagpur

Apex Board

The Apex Board was headed by the Director General of Ordnance Factories (DGOF), who acts as the chairman of the board (ex officio

• Ammunition and Explosives
• Weapons, Vehicles & Equipment
• Materials and Components
• Armoured Vehicles
• Ordnance Equipment Group of Factories

Each of the above group of factories was headed by a Member/Additional DGOF who was in the rank of Special Secretary to Government of India. The four remaining members were responsible for staff functions, viz personnel, finance, planning and material management, and technical services, and they operated from Kolkata.

Ordnance factories

Each ordnance factory was headed by a General Manager who is in the rank of

Training institutes, regional centres and controllerates

• National Academy of Defence Production

National Academy of Defence Production provides training to the IOFS officers in areas of technology, management, public administration as induction and re-orientation courses.

There were Ordnance Factories Institutes of Learning (OFILs) in Ambajhari, Ambernath, Avadi, Dehradun, Ishapore, Khamaria, Kanpur and Medak. Each OFIL was headed by a principal director, and NADP by a senior principal director. NADP provided training to Group A officers, whilst the other eight institutes imparted training to Group B and Group C employees of the ordnance factories.

OFB had Regional marketing centres and Regional controllerates of safety as well.

Joint Ventures

In 2017, the Department of Defence Production under the Ministry of Defence opened itself to for Joint Ventures with OFB and DRDO was also tasked with identifying their products and patents, with the scope of commercial production^[43]

• Indo-Russia Rifles Private Limited (IRRPL), Amethi

A joint venture between Ordnance Factory Board (50.5%), Kalashnikov Concern (42%) and Rosonboronexport (7.5%) established to produce AK-203 (7.62×39mm) assault rifles intended for Indian Security Forces.^[44]

Indian Ordnance Factories Service (IOFS)

The

• IOF .22 revolver
• IOF .32 revolver
  (7.65 mm X 23)
• IOF .32 revolver Nirbheek
• IOF .32 pistol Ashani
• IOF .22 sporting rifle
• IOF .315 sporting rifle
• IOF .30-06 sporting rifle

Ammunition

• Cartridge Rimfire .22" Ball
• Cartridge SA .32" Revolver
• Cartridge SA .315" and .30-06 Ball
• Cartridge SA 12 Bore 70mm
• Cartridge SA 12 Bore 65 mm Special

Military Products

These products are exclusively manufactured for use by the armed forces and are not sold to civilians.

• Infantry
• 
  Multi Caliber Individual Weapon System (MCIWS) by OFT
• 
  84mm Shoulder-fired Rocket Launcher / Recoilless Gun by OFT
• 
  Minister holding a 40 mm Multi Grenade Launcher (MGL) and on the table the 38 mm Multi Shell Launcher both manufactured by OFT
• 
  Joint Venture Protective Carbine (JVPC) to be manufactured by OFT
• 
  AGS-30 Automatic Grenade Launcher by OFT
• 
  Rocket Propelled Grenade Launcher by OFT
• 
  Vidhwansak Anti-material Sniper Rifle by OFT

• Artillery
• 
  Pinaka rockets manufactured by OFAJ and the launcher by VFJ
• 
  Dhanush 155 mm artillery gun in L39, L45 and L52 configurations by GCF
• 
  VFJ-GCF 8X8 155 mm Truck-mounted Self-Propelled Gun System
• 
  VFJ-GCF 105 mm Truck-mounted Self-Propelled Gun System, in 6X6 and 4X4 configurations
• 
  VFJ-GCF Sharang Towed Gun
• 
  Smerch rockets produced at OFAJ and launcher at VFJ

• Vehicles
• 
  Matang was completely developed and manufactured by VFJ.
• 
  VFJ Flyer Light Strike Vehicle
• 
  4X4 Mine Protected Vehicle, also in 6X6 configuration, with RCWS, recce and recovery variants
• 
  VFJ LPTA 715
• 
  VFJ 4X4 Bullet Proof Vehicle
• 
  VFJ Stallion Mark I, now being replaced by Stallion Mark IV

• Clothing
• 
  g-suits for Indian Air Force pilots flying the supersonic aircraft
• 
  Bulletproof Vest
• 
  High-altitude, low-temperature, waterproof combat uniforms
• 
  Chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) suit

• Support equipment
• 
  Parachutes manufactured at OPF Kanpur
• 
  Inflatable boat Prashant manufactured at OPF Kanpur
• 
  Hot air balloons manufactured at OEF Hazratpur

• Armoured
• 
  Bridge Layer Tank manufactured by HVF Chennai
• 
  Bhishma built at HVF Chennai
• 
  Full-width mine plough built by HVF Chennai
• 
  Arjun Mark-II
• 
  Bhishma's engine at Engine Factory Avadi, Chennai
• 
  Surface Mine Clearing System manufactured by Ordnance Factory Medak

• Missiles
• 
  Akash missile's warhead, propellants and its launchers on Ajeya and Sarath
• 
  Nag missile carrier (Namica) with propellants and explosives for the Nag anti-tank guided missile (ATGM)
• 
  Propellants for the Agni missile series
• 
  Explosive warheads and propellants for the BrahMos Supersonic missiles
• 
  Propellants and explosives for the Prahaar missile

• Space applications
• 
  Explosives used in stage separation of GSLV are provided by OFB
• 
  Special metals and alloys used to build satellites of ISRO are supplied by OFB, along with precision instrumentation and optoelectronics
• 
  OFB supplies the propellants and explosives for PSLV to ISRO

• Aerial weapons
• 
  IAF Hind Akbar's rockets, bombs and armaments
• 
  IAF Su-30MKI's rockets, bombs, missiles, armaments and parachutes
• 
  Tejas uses armaments such as OFT's 23 mm GSh-23 Cannon and bombs
• 
  IA Rudra's anti-tank, air-to-air and anti-ship missiles, rockets and torpedoes

• Naval weapons
• 
  AK-630 close-in weapon system, the mainstay of most Indian naval ships is built at GSF Kolkata
• 
  CRN-91 Naval Gun is the main armament of most Indian Coast Guard vessels is built at OFT Trichy and OFMK Hyderabad
• 
  76 mm SRGM built by FGK Kanpur is onboard the INS Vikrant and all the new vessels of the Indian Navy, its ammunition is manufactured at OFK Jabalpur
• 
  RBU 6000 anti-submarine rocket launcher and its rockets such as RGB-12 and RGB-60 are built at HAPP Trichy and AFK Pune
• 
  AK-100 Gun and its ammunition manufactured at GSF Kolkata
• 
  Kavach anti-missile naval decoy rockets and its launchers are built AFK Pune and MTPF Mumbai respectively

Customers

Armed Forces

The prime customers of Indian Ordnance Factories were the

• Asia: Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Vietnam, Nepal, Singapore
• Europe: Germany, Belgium, Cyprus, Greece, Turkey, Russia, Sweden, France, Switzerland, United Kingdom
• Middle East: Oman, Egypt, Israel, Saudi Arabia, UAE
• Africa: Kenya, Botswana, Nigeria
• North and South America: United States, Canada, Brazil, Chile, Suriname[55]^[56][57][58]

Notable employees

• Scientific Adviser to the Defence Minister of India, by the first Prime Minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru.^[61]
• Secretary of Ministry of Heavy Industries, Ministry of Steel, Ministry of Mines and Ministry of Coal.^[65][66][67] Awarded Padma Shri by the President of India,^[68] Commander of the Order of the Lion of Finland by the President of Finland.^[69] The headquarters of Confederation of Indian Industry is named in his honour.^[70] He also served as the Chairman of several MNCs such as Ashok Leyland,^[71] ABB, Wärtsilä.^[72]
• Bharat Earth Movers (BEML). Awarded Padma Shri in 2004 by the Government of India for his role in the development of LCA – Tejas
  .
• Brijmohan Lall Munjal - Founder of Hero MotoCorp, the world's largest two-wheeler manufacturer, and Hero Cycles, world's largest cycle manufacturer. Awarded Padma Bhushan.
• IOFS. First Indian to climb Mount Everest.^[73][74] Author, mountaineer, social worker. Founder & Chairman of Indian Spinal Injuries Centre. Conferred on with the Arjuna Award, Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan by the Government of India, Fellowship of Royal Geographical Society (FRGS). Also served as a Commissioned officer in the Indian Army and Member of Planning Commission (India)
  .
• Indo-Pakistani War of 1965, respectively.^[75]
• Indo-Pakistani War of 1971
• Armaments Research and Development Establishment (ARDE) of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). Awarded Padma Shri
  in 1974.
• Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). Awarded Padma Shri in 1969.^[75]
• K. C. Banerjee - IOFS. Received
  Indo-Pakistani War of 1965.^{[80][81][82][83]}
• Indo-Pakistani War of 1971.^[84]