Special Report: India advances indigenous small-arms production with Prahar LMG programme

PLR System's Prahar is an Indian version of IWI's 7.62×51 mm Negev light machine gun. (IWI)

PLR Systems, a joint venture between India's Adani Group and Israel Weapon Industries (IWI), has expanded its domestic defence manufacturing footprint with the first delivery of locally produced small arms to the Indian Army.

IWI said in late March that the Indian Army had received an initial batch of 2,000 locally manufactured 7.62×51 mm Negev light machine guns (LMGs), designated Prahar. The delivery follows a technology transfer from IWI to PLR Systems to enable domestic production.

Under the programme, PLR Systems is expected to deliver a further 4,000 Prahar LMGs in 2026 as part of a broader agreement to supply a total of 41,000 LMGs to the Indian Army, IWI said.

The Prahar programme was initiated in 2023 after India's Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) approved an Indian Army proposal to procure the weapons. The contract was awarded in August 2024.

The Prahar LMGs are intended to replace the Indian Army's in‑service Indian Small Arms System (INSAS) LMGs, which were developed and manufactured by India's former Ordnance Factories Board and have been in service since 1998.

IWI had previously delivered an initial batch of 16,000 Israel‑manufactured Negev LMGs to the Indian Army in 2020. The system remains in operational service with the force.

Shuki Schwartz, IWI's CEO, told Janes that the Prahar is a modified version of the Negev LMG deployed by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), adapted to meet the Indian Army's operational requirements.

Schwartz said that approximately 50% of the weapon currently comprises locally manufactured components, adding that PLR Systems aims to increase indigenous content to 100% over time.