SOURCE: IDRW.ORG
Baba Kalyani, the Chairman and Managing Director of Bharat Forge and its defense arm, Kalyani Strategic Systems Ltd. (KSSL), has set an ambitious benchmark for India’s private defense sector. Speaking recently about the company’s artillery production capabilities, Kalyani revealed that KSSL is on track to achieve a capacity of producing one artillery gun per day—translating to over 350 guns annually.
This announcement comes on the heels of a remarkable 2024, during which KSSL exported nearly 100 artillery guns to international buyers, marking a significant milestone for India’s burgeoning defense export industry. Now, with sights set on markets in the United States and Europe, Kalyani is steering his firm toward global prominence, even as it awaits a long-anticipated domestic order for 307 Advanced Towed Artillery Gun Systems (ATAGS) from the Indian Army.
The export of nearly 100 artillery guns in 2024 underscores KSSL’s growing reputation as a reliable supplier of high-quality, battle-ready systems. This achievement, confirmed by Kalyani in early 2025, reflects the company’s ability to leverage its expertise in metallurgy, engineering, and defense technology to meet international demand. Notable export destinations have included Armenia, which has procured ATAGS and MArG 155mm systems, and a Middle Eastern nation that signed a $155 million deal in 2022 for 155mm guns. The firm’s recent Letter of Intent (LOI) with AM General at IDEX 2025 in Abu Dhabi further signals its intent to break into the U.S. market—a historic first for an Indian defense company supplying artillery cannons to a global arms powerhouse.
Kalyani’s vision to scale production to one gun per day builds on this momentum. Speaking about the company’s plans, he emphasized KSSL’s readiness to establish what he has previously called “the world’s largest artillery manufacturing facility” in India. This facility, projected to be fully operational within three years from his 2022 announcement at DefExpo, aims to churn out over 350 guns annually—an output that would dwarf many global competitors. Posts on X have echoed this optimism, with users marveling at the firm’s capacity leap from six guns per month to a potential 350+ per year, positioning KSSL as a trailblazer in India’s private defense sector.
KSSL’s export strategy is now shifting westward, targeting the United States and Europe—regions traditionally dominated by established players like BAE Systems and Rheinmetall. The LOI with AM General, a U.S.-based defense contractor known for the Humvee, paves the way for co-developing and supplying next-generation artillery systems, including mounted, towed, and ultra-light guns in 105mm and 155mm calibers. This partnership not only validates KSSL’s technological prowess but also aligns with India’s broader push to become a credible exporter under the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative.
Europe, too, presents a ripe opportunity. The ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict and rising energy costs have strained European manufacturing capacity, creating a supply gap that Indian firms like KSSL are poised to fill. Kalyani’s confidence in this expansion is evident—he has not once publicly lamented the lack of Indian Army orders in recent interviews, focusing instead on global markets.
Despite KSSL’s export triumphs, its relationship with the Indian Army remains a tale of unfulfilled potential. The Advanced Towed Artillery Gun System (ATAGS), a 155mm/52-caliber howitzer co-developed by DRDO with Bharat Forge and Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL), has been a flagship project aimed at modernizing the Army’s artillery fleet. Capable of firing at a world-record range of 48 kilometers and equipped with advanced automation, ATAGS cleared all field trials by May 2022 and earned the Defence Acquisition Council’s Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) in March 2023 for 307 units.
Yet, over two years later, the Army has yet to place a firm order, leaving KSSL and TASL in limbo. The initial contract, valued at ?3,365 crore for 150 guns (split between the two firms), remains stalled in commercial negotiations and metallurgical testing phases.
Kalyani remains optimistic about eventual domestic orders, often reiterating that KSSL “ticks every box” for the Army—performance, quality, and production rate. The firm’s portfolio, including ATAGS, Bharat 52, Garuda 105, and ultra-light howitzers, offers a range of solutions tailored to India’s diverse terrain, from Himalayan heights to desert plains. Yet, the Army’s slow pace—fewer than 100 new artillery guns inducted since the 2020 Galwan clash—has fueled calls on social media for greater reliance on indigenous systems like ATAGS over imports like the M777 howitzers (145 units bought in 2016).
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