ICOMM, a group company of Megha Engineering and Infrastructure Ltd, has signed a licensing agreement with UAE-based small-arms manufacturer Caracal to locally manufacture small firearms such as pistols and sniper rifles.
ICOMM signed a partnership and licensing agreement with Caracal technology transfer, the company said in a statement. As per the agreement, ICOMM will locally manufacture Caracal's complete line of small arms for the Indian market under the 'Make in India' initiative, it said.
The agreement was signed at the IDEX 2023 in Abu Dhabi, the UAE, one of the largest tri-service defense exhibitions in the world.
ICOMM will manufacture the full range of Caracal small arms, including the versatile Caracal EF pistol, modern CMP 9 submachine gun, CAR 814, CAR 816, and CAR 817 tactical rifles, CAR 817 DMR tactical sniper rifle, CSR 50 anti-material sniper rifle, CSR 338 and CSR 308 bolt action sniper rifles and the CSA 338 semi-automatic sniper rifle, it said.
ICOMM is part of the $4 billion USD Hyderabad-based infrastructure group MEIL.
Sumanth P, Chief of ICOMM, said Caracal's complete line of small arms will be produced at the company's manufacturing center in Hyderabad. This marks the entry of the firm, which till now manufactured missiles, radars, and drones, into small firearms. " India's defense industry is on a strong path to developing its sovereign manufacturing capabilities. This agreement exemplifies the commitment shown by Caracal to aid India's ambitions towards making the defense sector self-sufficient," he said.
Hamad Al Ameri, CEO of Caracal, said, " As India continues to realize its sovereign defense ambitions, we look forward to partnering with ICOMM, whose capabilities in providing end-to-end solutions across multiple sectors, including engineering and defense, complements Caracal's portfolio of advanced small arms."