In a significant boost to indigenous small-arms manufacturing, Assam Rifles has placed an order for 1,013 ASMI 9×19 mm submachine guns (SMGs) with Hyderabad-based Lokesh Machines Ltd. The firm emerged as the lowest bidder (L1) following a competitive techno-commercial evaluation, marking its second successful sale of the indigenously designed, developed and manufactured (IDDM) weapon.
This order follows Lokesh Machines’ earlier win in April 2024, when it secured a contract to supply 550 ASMI SMGs to the Indian Army Special Forces—India’s first indigenous small-arms order since the INSAS rifle. The ASMI, conceived to replace ageing World War II–era Sterling carbines, has since seen limited induction across multiple forces, including NSG, ITBP and BSF.
The ASMI is the brainchild of Col Prasad Bansod and was developed at DRDO’s Armament Research and Development Establishment, Pune—ARDE—under the Defence Research and Development Organisation. Designed for reliability, affordability (estimated under ₹50,000 per unit) and export appeal, the weapon underscores India’s push for self-reliance in critical infantry systems.
Parallelly, India’s small-arms ecosystem is diversifying. Jindal Defence, in collaboration with Brazil’s Taurus, has secured a separate contract for 550 Taurus T-9 machine pistols for the Army, to be manufactured in India via transfer of technology—highlighting multiple pathways to indigenisation.
Beyond SMGs, Lokesh Machines has also co-developed a 7.62×51 mm belt-fed medium machine gun with ARDE, capable of operating from −40°C to +55°C and adaptable across land, naval and aerial platforms. The latest Assam Rifles order not only accelerates replacement of legacy weapons but also signals growing confidence in Indian-designed arms—strengthening Atmanirbharta and domestic defence manufacturing momentum.
