Lokesh Machines Limited has secured an order worth INR 176.8 million (inclusive of GST) from the Indian Ministry of Defence (Army headquarters, New Delhi). The contract covers the supply of modification kits for existing 7.62 × 51 mm Medium Machine Guns (MMGs), with full delivery due within 12 months from the effective date.
The 7.62 mm MAG‑type MMG is standard issue in the Indian Army, and these kits are intended to upgrade and enhance the reliability and performance of in‑service weapons.
Earlier, Lokesh Machines developed and delivered 550 Asmi 9 × 19 mm submachine pistols to the Army’s Northern Command—a landmark as India’s first private‑sector SMG induction. All units were delivered by October 1, 2024, and inducted in November 2024. Trial quantities of Asmi pistols were supplied to agencies like the NSG, Assam Rifles, and BSF, but broader supply contracts beyond trials are not publicly confirmed.
Lokesh Machines’ MMG (7.62 × 51 mm) was developed in collaboration with DRDO’s Armament Research & Development Establishment (ARDE). It is India’s first privately produced belt‑fed MMG, capable of firing both Indian and NATO standard ammunition, with a rate of fire of 800 rounds per minute, a service range up to 1,800 meters, and lightweight design (~25 percent lighter than in‑service legacy models).
The company, originally a CNC machine tools manufacturer based in Hyderabad, has invested over INR 1 billion in greenfield defence manufacturing infrastructure in Medchal, Telangana, geared toward small arms and aerospace components.
