By Dr. Shiv Chand Kansal, Chairman & Managing Director, SMPP
New Delhi. 11 June 2026. My Forty-One Years of Defending the Nation is a Journey of Grit, Innovation, and Purpose. Forty-one years ago, SMPP began not with a grand blueprint or a massive capital reserve, but with a singular, unshakeable conviction that our Nation’s defenders deserved the absolute best, and that we could build it for them. We started as a “mini company”—a modest workshop with a handful of visionary engineers, limited machinery, and an abundance of determination. Today, as I look across our advanced manufacturing complexes, our state-of-the-art research labs, and our thousands of dedicated employees, I am filled with immense pride. We have transformed into a major defence producer, shaping the tactical landscape and safeguarding lives on the frontlines.
Our journey has never been just about industrial growth or commercial success; it has been a deeply personal mission to build self-reliance in national security. Every milestone we reached over the past four decades was forged through grit, strategic pivots, and an unwavering commitment to engineering excellence.
From the outset, our objective was clear – to build capabilities that mattered, create products that served a national purpose, and contribute meaningfully to India’s strategic preparedness. This philosophy ultimately led us to advanced ballistic protection systems, a domain where reliability, innovation, and quality are non-negotiable.
In revolutionizing personal protection, our first major breakthrough came in the domain of life protection. In our early days, bulletproof products were heavy, cumbersome, and often inadequate against evolving ballistic threats. We recognized that to truly protect our soldiers, we had to innovate at the molecular level. We thus shifted our focus toward advanced material science, moving away from heavy steel plating to pioneer the use of lightweight aramid fibres, ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene (UHMWPE), and specialized ceramics. We didn’t just manufacture vests, we designed integrated protective systems. Our bulletproof jackets, helmets, and weapon platforms armour plates became benchmarks for lightweight ergonomics and multi-hit capability. Knowing that a product made by our hands is the final line of defence between a soldier and harm has always been, and remains, the ultimate anchor of our quality control.
As our engineering capabilities matured, we looked toward the horizon of conventional warfare. The battlefield demanded long range, destructive capability, and above all, absolute precision. We entered the highly regulated and complex arena of Artillery ammunition manufacturing. We transitioned from producing standard conventional rounds to developing long-range, precision-guided artillery ammunition. By integrating advanced aerodynamics and sophisticated fusing technologies, we helped shift the paradigm of artillery from a weapon of mass bombardment to a tool of surgical strike capability. Our manufacturing facilities adopted rigorous automation and digital testing protocols to ensure that every single shell delivered maximum reliability under the most extreme environmental conditions.
The evolution of warfare is relentless. In recent years, the battlefield has fundamentally shifted from a two-dimensional landscape to a highly contested three-dimensional arena, dominated by unmanned systems. Understanding this shift early allowed us to spearhead the next generation of defence technology of Drones and Counter-Drone systems.
Recent conflicts have demonstrated how unmanned systems can alter operational dynamics, enhance situational awareness, and create new tactical possibilities. At the same time, they have introduced complex security challenges that require entirely new approaches to defence and protection. The ability to detect, identify, track, and neutralise hostile unmanned systems is becoming increasingly important for military and homeland security applications. Counter-drone technologies are rapidly evolving from a specialised capability into a critical operational requirement.
Recognising these shifts, SMPP has expanded beyond its traditional strengths to build capabilities in drones, anti-drone systems, and next-generation Drone technologies. This evolution is not a departure from our legacy. Rather, it is an extension of the same mission that has guided us for decades: protecting lives, strengthening National security, and developing indigenous capabilities that support India’s strategic objectives.
For me, leadership has always been about creating something larger than oneself. Sustainable organisations are built when people share a common vision, uphold high standards, and remain committed to continuous improvement. The ultimate goal is not simply to build a successful company but to create an institution capable of thriving across generations.
As the Chairman of SMPP, my deepest gratitude goes out to our brilliant engineers, our meticulous technicians, our strategic partners, and most importantly, the Armed Forces who put their trust in our products every single day. The nature of conflict will continue to change, introducing threats we cannot yet fully anticipate. But if our history has proven anything, it is that this company possesses the vision, the capability, and the soul to meet those challenges head-on. We will continue to innovate, we will continue to manufacture with flawless precision, and we will forever stand as the silent shield “Protecting those who protect our Nation”.
Ultimately, every entrepreneur hopes to leave behind something that endures. Not merely products or facilities, but institutions that continue to create value, inspire people, and contribute to the nation long into the future. That, more than any milestone or achievement, is the legacy worth building.
Dr. Shiv Chand Kansal is the Chairman and Managing Director of SMPP Ltd. He holds a PhD from the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay. He is an associate member of the Indian Institute of Chemical Engineers. He has over three decades years of experience in the defence manufacture industry with our Company.
