Caracal International CEO Hamad Al Ameri, MEIL MD Krishna Reddy with senior executives at the inauguration of the facility in Hyderabad.
| Photo Credit: Arrangement
Caracal, a small arms manufacturer based in the United Arab Emirates, inaugurated a manufacturing facility in collaboration with ICOMM Tele, a group company of Megha Engineering & Infrastructures group (MEIL), in Hyderabad on Monday.
The development comes shortly after the visit of the UAE Crown Price as well as the country’s Defence Minister to India earlier this month. Caracal had in the past competed in a tender to supply its CAR-816 rifles to the Indian Army but eventually lost out to SIG Sauer of the U.S.
Located at ICOMM’s integrated engineering facility, it will serve as a local manufacturing hub for a comprehensive portfolio of advanced weapons under a technology transfer agreement with Caracal, which is an entity of the technology and defence group EDGE.
The agreement is a milestone in UAE–India defence collaboration and a boost to the Make in India and Atmanirbhar Bharat mission, MEIL said in a release. Weapons to be manufactured at the facility include CAR 816 close-quarters battle rifles, CAR 817 assault rifles, lightweight CSR 338 bolt-action sniper rifles, lightweight CSR 308 bolt-action sniper rifles, CSR 50 bolt-action anti-materiel sniper rifles, modern CMP9 submachine guns and Caracal EF and Caracal F GEN II combat pistols.
These next-generation weapons will serve the critical needs of Indian armed forces, Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs), special forces, State police forces, and the Special Protection Group (SPG). They will also cater to global export requirements of Caracal. It will also support Caracal’s international programmes, strengthening India’s role as a trusted global defence production hub, MEIL said.
“With Caracal by our side as a trusted and visionary partner, we are building more than world-class weapons. We are building a bold, self-reliant India. This is our salute to every soldier and promise to deliver quality that protects, empowers and inspires,” said ICOMM Tele managing director Sumanth Paturu.
The launch of the ICOMM Caracal small arms complex is “a milestone in our efforts to support the Indian market and defence industry. As the first small arms technology transfer from the UAE to India, the factory further highlights our commitment to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Make in India initiative,” said Caracal CEO Hamad Alameri.
“With successful technical qualification by two special forces units and strong progress in Army trials, we are proud to deepen our role in India’s defence ecosystem. ICOMM has proven to be a highly capable and reliable partner,” he said.
After the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) approved the procurement of 72,400 assault rifles and 93,895 carbines through the Fast Track Procurement (FTP) route in January 2018, SIG Sauer’s SIG-716 and Caracal CAR-816 rifles were evaluated and the later was declared the lowest bidder. However, the tender was eventually cancelled and the Army procured and inducted 72,400 SIG-716 rifles from SIG Sauer under a ₹700-crore contract signed in February 2019.
The imports were meant to be a stop-gap arrangement till the larger requirement was met by the bulk licence manufacture of the Russian AK-203 assault rifles. However, with that delayed, the Ministry of Defence signed a repeat order for 73,000 SIG716 rifles in June 2024 and deliveries are expected to completed by end-2025.
As reported by The Hindu earlier, Caracal said in a statement that despite uncertainty over the deal, it would go ahead with investment in India and will fully manufacture the carbines in the country. “Caracal has already identified the required land, facility and local partners to be able to commence production immediately. Over 20% of the components fitted on the CAR 816 are already made in India,” the company had said in a statement then.
Published – April 21, 2025 08:19 PM is
