A Carl-Gustav M4 in display. (Photo: Public Domain/Wikipedia)
Gurgaon: After receiving approval for 100 per cent foreign direct investment in defence production in the country, Swedish defence major Saab has established a new company, Saab FFVO India Private Limited. This company will fully own the new manufacturing facility in Haryana’s Jhajjar and produce the Carl-Gustaf M4 weapon.
In a news release, Gorgen Johansson, senior vice-president, and head of Saab’s business-area dynamics said, “I am proud to start constructing our first facility outside Sweden for Carl-Gustaf, a product with a long history with the Indian Armed Forces. We look forward to starting production of our excellent product, now engineered, and made in India.”
“Today is an important milestone for Sweden and India. Saab's factory will be the first foreign, fully owned defence production facility in India. It is a testament to the strong bilateral relationship between our countries,” Sweden’s state secretary for foreign trade, Hakan Jevrell, said.
The facility is being built at the MET City in Jhajjar in the state. Haryana has a strong industrial base with good potential partners and skilled workers.
The release further said Saab will partner with Indian suppliers and will fully meet the requirements of the “Make in India” initiative of the government for the systems manufactured in the facility. At the new factory, Saab will deploy complex technologies including the latest sighting technology and advanced carbon fibre winding to manufacture Carl-Gustaf M4 for the Indian armed forces, and components that may be included in other users’ systems.
The Carl-Gustaf system has been in service with the Indian Army since 1976 and is established as the main shoulder-launched weapon in the Indian military.
