By 2025 End, India Plans to Fully Indigenize All Military Ammunition Needs

India’s armed forces are pushing hard to achieve complete self-reliance in ammunition production by the end of 2025, a goal driven by urgent lessons from past shortages, especially during Operation Sindoor. The Indian Army, in particular, has accelerated efforts to bridge existing gaps in domestic production and cut reliance on foreign suppliers.

Lieutenant General Amardeep Singh Aujla, who oversees logistics and sustainment for the Army, recently explained the urgency. “By 2025, we aim to be 100% indigenous for all our ammunition needs,” he said. But he also warned, “This target doesn’t come without its challenges.” The biggest hurdle? A mismatch between what the country needs and what it can currently produce.

India is currently facing serious shortfalls in key raw materials required to manufacture ammunition, including propellants, explosives, and fuses. On propellants alone—like NC, NG, single base, double base, triple base, and ball powder—production is reportedly lagging by five to six times below what the military demands.

Other defence officials have echoed similar concerns. While the goal of full indigenization by 2025 remains firm, limited production capacities and raw material constraints are proving difficult to overcome quickly. The military has stressed that these challenges span both finished ammunition and the core components needed to make them.

The push for self-sufficiency is part of a broader government effort to strengthen the defence manufacturing sector. Defence Secretary (Defence Production) Sanjeev Kumar highlighted the issue during discussions with private and public defence firms earlier this year. He noted that many producers still lack focus on the fundamentals of manufacturing, especially when it comes to sourcing and processing primary ingredients. “Self-reliance is not just about defence platforms or technology—it includes ammunition too,” Kumar emphasized.

This drive toward indigenization is also timely from an economic standpoint. The global ammunition market, according to the International Market Analysis Research and Consulting Group, was valued at $25.8 billion in 2024 and is expected to grow to $36.1 billion by 2033, with a CAGR of 3.44%. India sees an opportunity not just to meet its own defence needs, but to also become a significant exporter of ammunition in the global market.

As India works toward this ambitious goal, the message is clear: never again should the country’s armed forces be held back by a lack of ammunition. The next 17 months will be crucial in deciding whether that promise becomes a reality.