Ordnance Factory Board
Ordnance Factory Board (OFB), consisting of the Indian Ordnance Factories, now known as Directorate of Ordnance (Coordination & Services), was an organisation, under the Department of Defence Production (DDP) of Ministry of Defence (MoD), Government of India.[9]
Industry
Defence Production
1 October 2021[3]
Worldwide
Small arms, aircraft weapons, anti-aircraft warfare, naval weapons, anti-ship warfare, anti-submarine warfare, anti-tank warfare, missiles, missile launchers, rockets, rocket launchers, bombs, grenades, mortars, mines, metals, alloys, machine tools, military vehicles, engines, armoured vehicles, parachutes, optoelectronics, chemicals, clothing, artillery, ammunition, propellants, explosives
~80,000[8]
Having converted the 41 Indian Ordnance Factories into 7 Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs) in 2021, the Government is merging them again in 2024, as the output of one factory serves as the input of the other.[10][11]
OFB was the 37th-largest defence equipment manufacturer in the world, 2nd-largest in Asia, and the largest in India.[12] OFB was the world's largest government-operated production organisation,[13] and the oldest organisation in India.[14][15] It had a total workforce of about 80,000.[8] It was often called the "Fourth Arm of Defence",[16][17][18] and the "Force Behind the Armed Forces" of India.[19][20] Its total sales were at US$3 billion (₹22,389.22 crores) in the year 2020–'21.[2]
It was engaged in research, development, production, testing, marketing and logistics of a product range in the areas of air, land and sea systems. OFB consisted of forty-one ordnance factories, nine training institutes, three regional marketing centres and four regional controllerates of safety, which are spread all across the country.[21][22] Every year, 18 March is celebrated as the Ordnance Factory Day in India.[23][24]
History[edit]
Origins[edit]
The Indian Ordnance Factories predate all the other organisations like the Indian Army and the Indian Railways by over a century. The first Indian ordnance factory can trace its origins back to the year 1712 when the Dutch Ostend Company established a Gun Powder Factory in Ichhapur.[25] In 1787, another gunpowder factory was established at Ichapore; it began production in 1791, and the site was later used as a rifle factory, beginning in 1904. In 1801, Gun Carriage Agency (now known as Gun & Shell Factory, Cossipore) was established at Cossipore, Calcutta, and production began on 18 March 1802. This is the oldest ordnance factory in India still in existence.[26]
Contributions[edit]
The Indian Ordnance Factories have not only supported India through the wars, but also played an important role in building India, with the advancement of technology, and have ushered the Industrial Revolution in India, starting with the first modern steel, aluminium, copper plants of India,[27][28] first modern electric textile mill of India, first chemical industries of India,[29] established the first engineering colleges of India, as its training schools,[30] sparked India's first war of independence in 1857 with its rifles and bullets,[31][32] and also played key role in the founding of research and industrial organisations like ISRO, DRDO, BDL, BEL, BEML, SAIL, etc.[33][34]
Customers[edit]
Armed Forces[edit]
The prime customers of Indian Ordnance Factories were the Indian Armed Forces viz. Indian Army, Indian Navy and the Indian Air Force.[47][48] Apart from supplying armaments to the Armed Forces, Ordnance Factories also meet the requirements of other customers viz. the Central Armed Police Forces, State Armed Police Forces, Paramilitary Forces of India and the Special Forces of India in respect of arms, ammunition, clothing, bullet proof vehicles, mine protected vehicles etc.[21][49]
Civil trade[edit]
Customers are in the civil sector, central/state government organisations and departments such as Indian Railways, Indian Space Research Organisation, Defence Research and Development Organisation, Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre, Nuclear Fuel Complex, Aeronautical Development Agency, Department of Atomic Energy, Department of Telecommunications, and State Electricity Boards.[50][51][52][53] Public Sector Undertakings in India (PSUs) such as HMT Limited, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited, Bharat Dynamics Limited,[54] private companies and individuals etc. who purchased industrial chemicals, explosives, arms, ammunition, brass ingots, aluminium alloy products for aircraft, steel castings and forgings, vehicles, clothing and leather goods, cables and opto-electronic instruments.[55]
Exports[edit]
Arms and ammunition, weapon spares, chemicals and explosives, parachutes, leather and clothing items were exported to more than 30 countries worldwide.