Israel Weapon Industries CEO Shuki Schwartz said they are in the early stages of talks with India about integrating Arbel technology into the country. Photo courtesy: iwi.net/arbel/
A leading Israeli defence firm has said it intends to supply the first batch of 40,000 Light Machine Guns (LMGs) to India starting early next year, while it is in the final stages of signing a contract to supply nearly 1,70,000 new-age carbines.
Shuki Schwartz, CEO of Israel Weapon Industries (IWI), also said that his firm is currently collaborating with various agencies within India’s Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to market their products including pistols, rifles and machine guns.
“We’re now involved in three significant programmes. First is the contract for 40,000 LMGs, which was signed last year. We have completed all tests, trials and government checks, and we have received the license for production. We intend to supply the first batch at the beginning of the year,” Mr. Schwartz told PTI in an interview.
“LMGs supply is for five years. We can do it faster, but the first supply will be at the beginning of the year”, he said when asked about the timeline of the supply.
Mr. Schwartz said the second programme involves the Close Quarters Battle (CQB) carbines tender, where the firm was the second bidder. Bharat Forge is the primary bidder.
“We intend to supply 40% of the contract. We are in the stage of pre-signing of the contract, and I believe it will be finalised by the end of this year or the beginning of next year,” he said.
60% of the CQB carbines supply will be sourced from Bharat Forge, while the remaining 40% (1,70,000 units) will be delivered by PLR Systems, a subsidiary of the Adani Group.
On Arbel technology, the first computerised weapon system that uses a complex algorithm to determine when a soldier is on target and quickly strikes with high precision, Mr. Schwartz said that they are in the early stages of talks with India about integrating this technology into the country.
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“We are in the initial stages of discussions with different agencies to adopt the Arbel systems. Once they take it, we will supply it through co-production in Israel and India,” he said.
He added that PLR Systems will handle the co-production locally in India.
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“We are also collaborating with the MHA and various agencies within it to sell our complete range of products, which includes pistols, rifles and LMGs. Our dealings involve smaller quantities across many contracts, and we have been working in this area for several years,” he said.
When asked about annual supply numbers, he mentioned it could be “tens of thousands of weapons a year”. He acknowledged that while the two major contracts will last for a few years, there is a demand for quicker delivery due to the current situation.
Mr. Schwartz emphasised that IWI was among the first companies to support the ‘Make in India’ initiative, contributing to the growth of local production and expansion in the Indian market.
He also highlighted a strong partnership with the Adani Group through PLR Systems, focusing on light weapons manufacturing and the integration of Arbel systems locally.
When asked about the recent ban on the supply of some equipment by European countries, he said, “Israel needs to enhance its self-reliance for this reason, and we have our supply chain to support defence forces globally. We have developed this supply chain to further our mission.”
Published – December 06, 2025 03:51 pm IST
