India bids to set up arms unit in Egypt

NEW DELHI: India is bidding for a global tender to establish a small-arms manufacturing unit in Egypt.

"India is bidding for the Egyptian contract on the strength of its indigenously developed high-tech Excalibre rifle which is the improved version of the 5.56 INSAS rifle already being used by the Indian armed forces," Ordnance Factory Board Chairman P K Mishra said in an interview to Doordarshan News in it's programme, 'War and Peace'.

Mishra said "the Excalibre rifle is lighter and has less number of components but is highly accurate like the INSAS rifle. In case, we continue to get royalty on the design and plant and equipment goes from here we will get a lot of leverage," a Doordarshan release said today.

The rifle is being manufactured at the Ichhapur Rifle Factory near Kolkata, one of the 39 ordnance units under the Ordnance Factory Board. "In another ten years, we would like to have Rs 1000 crores worth of exports." Mishra added.