Brazil’s Taurus and India’s Jindal to produce TSeries pistols and T4 rifles

JHind Taurus India Private Limited, a joint venture between Brazil’s Taurus Armas and India’s Jindal Group, is very close to starting operations in the northern Indian city of Hisar, an important milestone given the major contracts being negotiated with the Indian government.

The physical works of the facilities, completed at the end of April, are now in the process of installing the machinery, and production is expected to start next October.

The partnership between Brazilian and Indian companies, held during the first Brazil-India Defense Industry Dialogue of the India-Brazil Business Forum (IBBF), chose Taurus to be responsible for technology transfer, and the weapons will be manufactured on Indian territory under the Make in India program, aimed at developing local industry.

The ongoing negotiations between Taurus and Jindal Group are focused on the Indian Armed Forces’ tender for supplying at least 400,000 new rifles, but there are many other business opportunities throughout India.

Business rounds established with major state police and paramilitary forces in various regions of India under the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) have identified many smaller specific projects that represent strategic opportunities such as the supply of modern weaponry for use in border management, special operations, urban and institutional security, among others.

PISTOLS, SUBMACHINE GUNS, AND RIFLES

The initial demand for these small contracts and identified opportunities amounts to a short to medium-term quantity of over 100,000 weapons, emphasizing 9mm caliber pistols, submachine guns, and rifles.

To meet this demand, Taurus will manufacture in India its TSeries line, which includes the TS9 and TH9 pistols, the SMT9 submachine gun, and versions of the T4 rifle (M4 platform).

According to the Brazilian company, the TSeries family responds to the characteristics and performance required by these forces using a local plant and industrial team, an advantage that major global competitors do not have, and a strong industrial presence in the country within the “Make in India” concept.

“The Taurus commercial team is active and focused on opening up these opportunities. These smaller tenders, in addition to reinforcing Taurus’ presence and solidification in the Indian Defense and Security market, are strategic because, due to their characteristics, they usually have a smaller number of companies competing and can lead to contracts with potentially higher profitability and margins compared to large tenders.

“And in India, everything is superlative; it is the second most populous country in the world, with vast numbers in any tender, even for supplying the huge military, police, and private security market. We are quite hopeful that India will generate solid results in the coming years,” said Salesio Nuhs, CEO of Taurus.

With information from InfoDefensa