SIG Sauer is supplying India with its SIG716 rifles (seen above) to replace the locally produced Indian Small Arms System (INSAS) assault rifles. (Janes/Patrick Allen)
US firearms specialist SIG Sauer Inc has signed an agreement with Indian company Nibe Defence and Aerospace to support the production of small-arms and ammunition in India.
Under a memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed by the companies in early November in Pune, India, the companies will look to collaborate on unspecified weapons for the Indian military.
A press release by SIG Sauer on 8 November said the agreement will facilitate “small-arms and ammunition manufacturing operations in India” but did not elaborate on specific products.
SIG Sauer president Ron Cohen said, “The joint venture with Nibe Defence gives SIG Sauer an expanded presence, greater customer engagement, and new collaboration opportunities to meet India's growing needs.”
While the company has not provided details about the new partnership, it is likely that it is intended to support SIG Sauer's recent contracts in India.
In August 2024 SIG Sauer signed a contract with the Indian Ministry of Defence (MoD) to supply the Indian Army with 73,000 SIG716 7.62×51 mm rifles. This deal followed a contract awarded to the company in February 2019 for an initial batch of 72,400 SIG716 rifles.
The first-batch purchase was valued at USD90 million and progressed through the Indian MoD's fast-track procurement procedure, which requires deliveries to be completed within one year of contract signing. The second-batch rifles are likely being procured through the same procedure. The rifles are being built at SIG Sauer's facilities in the US.
SIG Sauer had not responded to Janes requests for additional information at the time of publication.
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