Previously, the Ordnance Factory Medak was once known as the Ordnance factory project Medak. It is a premier defence production facility located in Telangana, India. The facility was established in 1984. It is the only company in India that manufactures infantry combat vehicles. The factory is well equipped by the Indian armed forces, with state-of-the-art combat platforms and equipment. The facility is operating under the umbrella of Armoured Vehicles Nigam Limited.
It’s the foundation!
Ordnance factory Medak was laid on 19th July 1984 by the former prime minister of India, Indira Gandhi. The factory was established to manufacture “SARATH,”. It is the most advanced infantry combat vehicle. Once, it was one of the 41 Indian ordnance factories.
What are the core products and manufacturing capabilities?
OFMK specialises in the design and development of tracked armoured vehicles. The diverse portfolio includes various products:
- Sarath (BMP-2K)
The facility is India’s licensed-production infantry combat vehicle. It is a heavy upgrade of the vehicles to the BMP II M standard. It comes with various features like improved night vision, auto targeting and an upgraded fire control system.
- Combat variants
The factory produces specialised derivatives of BMP II, including Armoured Ambulance Tracked, Carrier Mortar Tracked, Carrier Command post Tracked and Armoured Engineer Reconnaissance Vehicle.
- Specialized platforms
It includes protected vehicles, surface mine clearing systems and nuclear, biological and chemical (NBC) reconnaissance vehicles.
Assessing its manufacturing infrastructure!
The facility is spread across a sprawling estate of more than 1222 hectares. It is well equipped with modern machinery. The engineer floors of the factory feature 3-axis and 5-axis CNC machines, laser cutting technology and other intricate aluminium machinery. The facility has an NABL-certified metallurgical lab to test high standards of structural integrity and protection.
Quality and Accreditations: Milestones!
Working with ethical principles like environmental sustainability while maintaining quality, the facility has earned numerous prestigious national accolades. The factory has been honored with the Golden Peacock National Quality Award, the Golden Peacock HR Excellence Award, and the Raksha Mantri Award for Excellence. Moreover, it has also been certified for quality and environmental management, such as ISO 9001 and ISO 14001.
The facility also stands for excellence in technology and management, with a clean and green township. The township consists of 2693 families while containing all the modern facilities like modern clubs, a swimming pool, a stadium and so on. The township also includes one Kendriya Vidyalaya and a 50-bedded hospital where specialists visit on a regular basis.
Technological capabilities!
The facility is present over 3,023 acres and is considered the most advanced production ecosystem in the country. It houses high-tech manufacturing technologies like a laser cutting machine, Thermo pressing, CNC machines and foam filling technology. It also houses a robust in-house CAD/CAM centre and metallurgical lab. It ensures that all the materials, ranging from intricate aluminium to steel castings, are tested and validated before they reach the battlefield.
Conclusion!
Under the umbrella of Armoured Vehicles Nigam Limited, ordnance factory Medak continues to innovate with the technology. All the engineers working in the factory are actively developing prototypes for the manufacturing of the wheeled armoured fighting vehicles. The facility continues to work towards completing its vision while meeting the evolving needs of the Indian armed forces.
