Lokesh Machines Limited said it has received a domestic supply order valued at INR 220.05 million, inclusive of duties and taxes, for the supply of sub-assemblies and components for 9×19 millimetre machine pistols to the Ministry of Defence through Advanced Weapons and Equipment India Limited.
The Hyderabad-based company disclosed in a stock exchange filing dated 04 January 2026 that the order is required to be executed on or before 19 March 2026 and does not involve any related party transactions. The order relates to the Asmi machine pistol, India’s first indigenously developed machine pistol to be inducted by the armed forces.
The Asmi, which means “Pride,” was developed under a public–private collaboration involving the Indian Army and the Defence Research and Development Organisation’s Armament Research and Development Establishment (ARDE) in Pune. Lokesh Machines was selected as the manufacturing partner for the weapon system following its development phase.
The Asmi has been designed as a lightweight replacement for legacy 1A Carbine systems currently in service. The weapon weighs under 2 kilograms in its empty configuration and has a cyclic rate of fire of around 600 rounds per minute. Its design incorporates a side-folding stock and compatibility with standard Glock magazines, a feature intended to simplify logistics and ammunition handling for users. The development programme also drew on rapid prototyping techniques, including early-stage 3D-printed prototypes during the design phase.
During user evaluations, the Asmi was reported to have performed favourably against imported submachine guns, including the Uzi and MP5, particularly on parameters such as reliability and lifecycle cost. The weapon is positioned as a fully indigenous solution for close-quarter combat roles within the Indian Army.
For Lokesh Machines, the order reflects a broader strategic shift toward defence manufacturing. Historically recognised as a manufacturer of machine tools and computer numerical control systems, the company has expanded into small arms production over the past three years. As part of this transition, Lokesh Machines invested approximately INR 1,000 million in a greenfield defence manufacturing facility at Medchal near Hyderabad, designed specifically for small arms and related assemblies.
The company has previously supplied an initial batch of 550 Asmi machine pistols to the Indian Army’s Northern Command in late 2024, marking the first instance of a private manufacturer delivering a fully indigenous small arm to the Army. Beyond machine pistols, Lokesh Machines has also begun diversifying its defence portfolio and has secured a separate order valued at INR 176 million for medium machine gun modification kits.
Lokesh Machines Limited operates manufacturing facilities in Telangana and Maharashtra and supplies precision components to industrial, automotive, and defence customers. The company is listed on both the Bombay Stock Exchange and the National Stock Exchange of India.
