‘Made in India’ CQB Carbines: Bharat Forge Wins ₹1,661.9 Cr MoD Contract

The Indian Ministry of Defence (MoD) has awarded Bharat Forge Limited (BFL) a Rs. 1,661.9 crores contract for supply of 255,128 CQB Carbines (5.56 x 45 mm) to the Indian Army. The contract signed on 30th December, 2025, sets forth order execution within five years.

A carbine is a lightweight, short-barreled rifle designed for easier handling and mobility compared to full-length rifles. CQB carbines are compact rifles specifically designed for Close Quarter Battle (CQB) — combat in confined spaces such as urban warfare, anti-terror operations, and room-to-room fighting.

Here, CQB = Close Quarter Battle → Refers to combat at very short ranges, often under 100 meters. Hence, CQB Carbine = A compact firearm optimized for speed, agility, and precision in tight environments.

The 5.56 x 45 mm CQB Carbine is an indigenously designed, developed, and manufactured (IDDM) compact firearm jointly developed by Armament Research & Development Establishment (ARDE), DRDO and Bharat Forge Ltd., Pune.

Aligned with the Atmanirbhar Bharat mission, we – BFL, and our wholly- owned defence subsidiary Kalyani Strategic Systems Limited (KSSL), remain dedicated to equipping the Indian Armed Forces with ‘Made in India’ advanced defence equipment and platforms.

About Bharat Forge: Bharat Forge Limited (BFL), a Pune-based Indian multinational, is a technology driven global leader in providing high performance, innovative safety critical components and solutions for several sectors including automotive, power, oil and gas, construction & mining, rail, marine, defense and aerospace. BFL has global manufacturing footprint with presence across five countries, with the largest repository of metallurgical knowledge and offers full service supply capability to its geographically dispersed marquee customers from concept to product design, engineering, manufacturing, testing and validation. To learn more, visit www.bharatforge.com