New Delhi: In a major boost to the Indian Army’s night-fighting capabilities, the Ministry of Defence has signed a contract worth Rs. 659.47 crore for the procurement of advanced image intensifier night sights for 7.62×51 mm assault rifles.
The agreement, inked with a consortium of MKU Ltd and Medbit Technologies Pvt Ltd, will equip soldiers with improved visibility and accuracy during low-light operations, a Defence Ministry statement said.
Designed for the SIG 716 assault rifles currently in use, the new night sights can identify and engage targets up to 500 metres even under starlight conditions, significantly outperforming the existing passive night sights.
Officials said the system will allow troops to fully utilise the rifle’s extended effective range.
With more than 51 per cent indigenous content, the deal marks another milestone in India’s push for self-reliance under the ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ initiative.
The project is also expected to benefit several MSMEs engaged in component manufacturing and material supply.
The Defence Ministry noted that India’s domestic defence production has reached a record Rs. 1.46 lakh crore in 2024–25, while exports have climbed to an all-time high of Rs. 24,000 crore — a sharp rise from just Rs. 600–700 crore a decade ago.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, highlighting the sector’s growth, said the government’s ‘Make in India’ push has strengthened both national security and the economy.
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“The use of indigenous systems during Operation Sindoor has demonstrated India’s ability to penetrate any armour of the enemy,” he remarked.
Earlier this month, Singh inaugurated a national conference on ‘Opportunities in Defence Manufacturing’ at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi.
The event, organised by the Department of Defence Production, aimed to strengthen collaboration between the Centre, states, and Union Territories to align regional industrial policies with the national goal of defence self-reliance.
