SOURCE: AFI
In a significant development amid escalating tensions with Pakistan, Babasaheb Neelkanth Kalyani, Chairman and Managing Director of Bharat Forge Limited, revealed that the Indian government has called major defence equipment manufacturers to Delhi for a high-level meeting next week. The announcement, made in response to queries about whether Bharat Forge has been asked to ramp up production, underscores the urgency of bolstering India’s defence capabilities following recent cross-border hostilities.
“We have been called to Delhi next week, our team is going. Cannot say more,” Kalyani stated during a media interaction, as reported by CNBC TV18. His cryptic response has fueled speculation about the government’s plans, particularly in light of Pakistan’s recent drone and missile attacks on Jammu and India’s retaliatory Operation Sindoor, which destroyed nine terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir on May 6-7, 2025.
Posts on X suggest that the Delhi meeting may involve discussions on new contracts, production acceleration, or approvals for projects like Bharat Forge’s recent ?6,900 crore deal with the Ministry of Defence to supply 307 Advanced Towed Artillery Gun Systems (ATAGS), of which Bharat Forge will deliver 184 units for ?4,140 crore. While these claims remain inconclusive, they reflect the sentiment that the government is prioritizing self-reliance in defence manufacturing under the Aatmanirbhar Bharat and Make in India initiatives.
Bharat Forge Limited, the flagship company of the Kalyani Group, is a global leader in metal forming and the world’s second-largest forging manufacturer after Germany’s ThyssenKrupp. Headquartered in Pune, the company has diversified into defence manufacturing through its subsidiary, Kalyani Strategic Systems Ltd. (KSSL), which produces artillery systems, armoured vehicles, air defence solutions, and ammunition. Bharat Forge’s recent achievements include the indigenous development of the ATAGS, a 155mm/52 calibre artillery gun that set a world record by achieving a firing range of 48 km, surpassing comparable systems.
Under Kalyani’s leadership, Bharat Forge has forged strategic partnerships with global defence firms, including Israel’s Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and Elbit Systems, to bring cutting-edge technologies to India. The company is also involved in the Indian Air Force’s Close-In Weapon System (CIWS) programme and is developing precision ammunition, jet engines, and naval systems, such as marine gas turbine engines for the Indian Navy.
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