The Indian Armed Forces have received their first batch of indigenously made hand grenades, which are going to replace the World War II designed grenades presently in service in India.
The hand grenades were handed over to the Indian army chief by Nagpur-based Economic Explosives Ltd (EEL) in the presence of defence minister Rajnath Singh.
Singh called it a shining example of a public-private partnership (PPP). The grenades have been made by Chandigarh-based Terminal Ballistics Research Laboratory, with EEL purchasing the technology as part of an agreement in 2016.
The grenade has undergone rigorous testing by the Indian Army over the last few years, including use at high altitudes, in super cold conditions, and deserts. The defence ministry had placed an order of 1 million hand grenades worth Rs 450 crore with EEL in October 2020.
Apart from the demand from the Indian Army, these grenades have huge potential for export as it is competitively priced. Besides Indonesia, which is likely to be the first client, the grenades could be marketed to African and southeast Asian countries as well, experts said.
