- India’s Largest Ammunition Fuse Maker Eyes Global Growth
- “India Matches Global Standards” — Sagar Agarwal on Defence Exports and Quality
By Sangeeta Saxena
Excel Centre, London. 12 September 2025. Sandeep Metalcraft, India’s largest ammunition fuse maker, is now firmly setting its sights on global growth. As Sagar Agarwal emphasises, “India matches global standards” in defence exports and quality, a claim backed by the company’s expanding footprint. From its base in Nagpur, Sandeep Metalcraft has ramped up exports of 155 mm fuses to Europe and South America, responding to surging worldwide demand. With new bulk production lines and state-of-the-art facilities, the company is scaling up to meet both domestic and international requirements. As a true reflection of Atmanirbhar Bharat in action, Sandeep Metalcraft continues to power India’s ammunition ecosystem with world-class quality, faster deliveries, and cost competitiveness.
At a recent defence exhibition, Aviation & Defence Universe (ADU) sat down with Sagar Agarwal, Promoter & Vice President of Sandeep Metalcraft, a Nagpur-based company that has grown into India’s largest manufacturer of ammunition fuses. With a strong domestic footprint and an expanding export market, Sandeep Metalcraft is playing a key role in strengthening India’s ammunition production capability. In this conversation, Agarwal shared insights on global demand, export growth, collaborations with Indian and international partners, and the company’s role in the Atmanirbhar Bharat journey.
ADU. Could you tell us about your company and the space you operate in?
Sagar Agarwal. We are primarily in the ammunition space. We are the largest manufacturer of ammunition fuses in India. From 23 mm all the way up to 155 mm, we make the entire range of fuses.
ADU. What is the global demand like, and how is your company positioned to meet it?
Sagar Agarwal. Today, worldwide there is a huge demand for 155 mm fuses. The entire 155 mm ammunition is in extreme demand. We are one of the few who manufacture fuses for 155 mm, and we are setting up a bulk production line to meet this need. Our fuses are already proven and successfully established. We are currently making bulk supplies to South America and several countries in Europe.
ADU. What is your primary goal from this exhibition?
Sagar Agarwal. Primarily, we are looking to secure further contracts for 155 mm fuses and also to book long-term orders, ideally for 3 to 5 years. That is our main aim here.
ADU. Besides 155 mm fuses, are you working in other areas?
Sagar Agarwal. Yes, apart from 155 mm, we are also doing hardware for other fuses — shells, cartridge cases, tail units — quite a lot of those.
ADU. You mentioned exports — how has that journey been?
Sagar Agarwal. Five years ago, our export market wasn’t very big. But over the past five years, we have steadily grown our international customer portfolio, and it is expanding in a significant way. Over the next 3 to 5 years, I expect exports to become a major part of our sales.
ADU. Where are you based and where are your facilities located?
Sagar Agarwal. We are based out of Nagpur, Maharashtra, about an hour’s flight from Mumbai. All our facilities are located in Nagpur.
ADU. And what about your supply chain?
Sagar Agarwal. Our supply chain is almost entirely Indian. Occasionally, if a particular raw material is unavailable in India, we import it. But mostly everything is available domestically. If not, we get it specially made by Indian manufacturers. Imports are not a big factor for us.
ADU. Who are your main clients in India?
Sagar Agarwal. We supply to all the ordnance factories, MIL, YIL, and also to private players like Solar Industries, the Adani Group, Bharat Foods, Jindal Taurus JV, and we are in discussions with Reliance Defence. Apart from ammunition, we are also deeply engaged in small arms, manufacturing input parts for final integration by global OEMs now setting up facilities in India.
ADU. Are you also connected to the AK-203 project at Amethi?
Sagar Agarwal. Not directly yet, but Adani has an order for AK-203 and we already have an order from them related to it. So indirectly, yes.
ADU. What distinguishes your facilities and products?
Sagar Agarwal. We have a state-of-the-art facility, with infrastructure being scaled up to European standards. Our quality systems are top-notch. Today, I believe India is no less than any manufacturer worldwide when it comes to parts quality. We can match global requirements with the added advantage of lower costs and quicker deliveries.
In this conversation, Sagar Agarwal emphasised how Sandeep Metalcraft has evolved into a leading name in India’s defence manufacturing ecosystem. By focusing on indigenous production, building an almost fully Indian supply chain, and scaling up for global demand — particularly for 155 mm fuses — the company is well placed to strengthen both India’s domestic capabilities and its export profile. With partnerships across India’s public and private defence sector, and a commitment to international standards, Sandeep Metalcraft represents the new face of Atmanirbhar Bharat in ammunition manufacturing.
As told to Sangeeta Saxena
