Nibe Defence and Aerospace Limited, a defence manufacturing subsidiary of Nibe Limited, has received a licence from India’s Ministry of Home Affairs to manufacture and proof-test firearms and ammunition, enabling the company to enter a regulated segment of the domestic defence industry.
The scope of the licence includes manufacturing and proof-testing of pressure-bearing parts and components of firearms such as barrels, slides, cylinders, bolts, breech locks and firing pins. It also covers the manufacture and proof-testing of pistols in 9 mm Parabellum and 9 mm configurations, rifles and machine guns. In addition, the licence extends to machinery used for the manufacture or proof-testing of firearms, including systems related to 5.56×45 mm weapons.
As per the terms of the licence, Nibe Defence and Aerospace Limited is required to construct factory premises and install plant and machinery within seven years from the date of grant. The filing did not provide details on the proposed location of the manufacturing facility or the phases of implementation.
The licence has been issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, which is the designated regulatory authority for firearms manufacturing approvals. The licence has been granted under the Arms Act, 1959 and Arms Rules, 2016, and permits the manufacturing and proof-testing of firearms, ammunition and related systems.
According to a filing made by the parent company with the stock exchanges, the approval marks Nibe Defence and Aerospace Limited’s formal entry into firearms and ammunition manufacturing activities. The company said the approval represents a strategic development for its defence business, although it did not disclose any financial projections, production capacities, or planned end-users associated with the licensed activities.
The company did not quantify the expected impact of the licence on revenues or order inflows, and no timeline for commencement of commercial production was specified.
Nibe Defence and Aerospace Limited operates as a subsidiary of Nibe Limited and focuses on defence and aerospace manufacturing activities. The company forms part of the Nibe group, which has manufacturing operations in India and is listed on the BSE and the National Stock Exchange of India.
