Assam Rifles Procures 1,013 ASMI SMGs to Strengthen Indigenous Arms Manufacturing
Assam Rifles has significantly advanced indigenous small-arms production by ordering 1,013 ASMI 9×19 mm submachine guns from Hyderabad-based Lokesh Machines Ltd. The company emerged as the lowest bidder during a competitive evaluation, marking its second successful sale of these domestically designed and manufactured weapons.
This recent order follows a previous contract won by Lokesh Machines in April 2024 to supply 550 ASMI submachine guns to the Indian Army Special Forces. This contract represented India's first indigenous small-arms order since the INSAS rifle. The ASMI was developed to replace outdated World War II-era Sterling carbines and has since been inducted on a limited scale by forces such as the National Security Guard (NSG), the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), and the Border Security Force (BSF).
The ASMI was designed by Colonel Prasad Bansod and developed at the Armament Research and Development Establishment (ARDE) in Pune under the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). It was created to be reliable, affordable—estimated at under ₹50,000 per unit—and appealing for export, reflecting India's commitment to achieving self-reliance in key infantry systems.
Meanwhile, India's small-arms industry is continuing to expand. Jindal Defence, in partnership with Brazil's Taurus, has secured a separate contract to produce 550 Taurus T-9 machine pistols for the Indian Army. These pistols will be manufactured in India through a transfer of technology agreement, demonstrating various approaches to indigenisation.
In addition to submachine guns, Lokesh Machines has co-developed a 7.62×51 mm belt-fed medium machine gun with ARDE. This weapon is designed to operate in temperatures ranging from −40°C to +55°C and can be used across land, naval, and aerial platforms. The new order from Assam Rifles not only accelerates the replacement of aging weapons but also indicates increased confidence in Indian-designed arms, bolstering the nation's self-reliance and momentum in domestic defense production.
