Ordnance Factory Board
Defence Production complex in India / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Ordnance Factory Board (OFB), consisting of the Indian Ordnance Factories, now known as Directorate of Ordnance (Coordination & Services), was an organisation, under the Department of Defence Production (DDP) of Ministry of Defence (MoD), Government of India.[9]
Industry | Defence Production |
---|---|
Founded | 1712; 312 years ago (1712)[1][2] |
Defunct | 1 October 2021 (2021-10-01)[3] |
Fate | Corporatised |
Successors | |
Headquarters | Ayudh Bhawan, Kolkata |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Sudhir Srivastava, IOFS (Director General)[4] |
Products | Small arms, aircraft weapons, anti-aircraft warfare, naval weapons, anti-ship warfare, anti-submarine warfare, anti-tank warfare, missiles, missile launchers, rockets, rocket launchers, bombs, grenades, mortars, mines, metals, alloys, machine tools, military vehicles, engines, armoured vehicles, parachutes, optoelectronics, chemicals, clothing, artillery, ammunition, propellants, explosives |
Revenue | US$3 billion (₹22,389.22 crores) (2020–21)[2][5][6][7] |
Number of employees | ~80,000[8] |
Website | www.ofb.gov.in |
Having converted the 41 Indian Ordnance Factories into 7 Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs) in 2021, the Government is merging them again in 2024, as the output of one factory serves as the input of the other.[10][11]
OFB was the 37th-largest defence equipment manufacturer in the world, 2nd-largest in Asia, and the largest in India.[12] OFB was the world's largest government-operated production organisation,[13] and the oldest organisation in India.[14][15] It had a total workforce of about 80,000.[8] It was often called the "Fourth Arm of Defence",[16][17][18] and the "Force Behind the Armed Forces" of India.[19][20] Its total sales were at US$3 billion (₹22,389.22 crores) in the year 2020–'21.[2]
It was engaged in research, development, production, testing, marketing and logistics of a product range in the areas of air, land and sea systems. OFB consisted of forty-one ordnance factories, nine training institutes, three regional marketing centres and four regional controllerates of safety, which are spread all across the country.[21][22] Every year, 18 March is celebrated as the Ordnance Factory Day in India.[23][24]