Ordnance Factory Day in India Date in the current year: March 18, 2024

Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) is the oldest government-operated organization in India. It predates other government organizations, such as the Indian Railways, by over a century. The first ordnance factory in India was founded in 1712 by the Ostend Company. And the country’s oldest existing ordnance factory began production on March 18, 1802.

Ordnance factories not only supplied the Indian Army with everything it needed during wars, but also played a crucial role in the Industrial Revolution in the Indian Subcontinent, since the needs of the defense industry pushed forward the development of other industries. India’s first steel plant, modern textile mill, chemical plants, and engineering colleges were all founded to meet the needs of the defense industry.

The defense industry also played a key role in the founding and development of numerous industrial and research organizations, including the Indian Space Research Organization, the Defense Research and Development Organization, Bharat Dynamics Limited, Bharat Electronics Limited, BEML Limited, Steel Authority of India Limited, etc. Most of them are state-owned.

There are several dozen ordnance factories in India, located in the states of Bihar, Chandigarh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and West Bengal. The cities with the biggest number of ordnance factories are Chennai, Jabalpur, Kanpur, and Kolkata. They produce a wide range of products, including small arms, missiles, bombs, rockets, grenades, military vehicles, armored vehicles, optical devices, chemicals, parachutes, ammunition, fuses, explosives, etc.

The prime customers of Indian Ordnance Factories are the Indian Armed Forces, the Central Armed Police Forces, the States Armed Police Forces, the paramilitary forces, and the special forces. Other customers include government organizations, private companies, and even individuals. In addition, India exports various products manufactured by its ordnance factories to more than 30 countries in Asia, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and the Americas.

Ordnance Factory Day in India is celebrate to highlight the contribution of Indian Ordnance Factories to the development of the country’s economy and industry.