In this exclusive interview, SMPP Limited‘s chief executive officer, Ashish Kansal, tells Defence Capital editor N. C. Bipindra, provides an insight into the Indian defence company’s strategic growth plans and technologies that are the sheet anchor for the company’s future.

Defence Capital (DC): Can you share details on the recent orders you’ve received from the Indian Army or paramilitary forces? Has SMPP secured any significant international contracts or export orders recently? What is the status of the delivery of bulletproof jackets under earlier Ministry of Defence contracts? Also, kindly talk about the dynamic load distribution system.

Ashish Kansal (AK): In personal protection systems, SMPP has already completed the supply of approximately US$100 million contract for 1,86,138 Ballistic Jackets to the Indian Army and more than 2,00,000 Ballistic Helmets to various forces. SMPP also supplies its products to the BSF, CRPF, ITBP, NSG, SPG, Coast Guards, SSB, CISF, CAPFs, and State Police Forces.

In 2023, SMPP was the only company to be awarded all emergency procurement contracts by the Indian Army for Bullet Resistant Jackets (15,000 units worth US$5.5 million), Ballistic Helmets with enhanced protection (15,000 units worth US$10 million), Sikh Helmets (12,730 worth US$2.1 million), and Ballistic Shields with Exoskeletons (1,612 units worth US$21 million) and in 2025, SMPP has again been awarded all emergency procurement contracts for Bullet Resistant Jackets (27,700 units worth US$30 million) and Ballistic Helmets with enhanced protection (11,700 units worth US$10 million).

The success is attributable to both the most cost-effective pricing (SMPP was L1 in competitive bidding) and the best quality offering (SMPP was the only company to qualify technical trials in some of the products being procured for the first time by the Indian Army). SMPP is the market leader in India and has about 95% market share in India in personal protection.

Internationally, some key projects include 45,000 units of bulletproof plates and 60,000 ballistic helmets to Armenia, a new type of Ballistic jacket to the Philippines, and one of the most challenging vehicle armouring projects in Colombia, in addition to supplies to Europe, the US, the UK, and others. With an unwavering commitment to quality and timely delivery, SMPP continues to strengthen its presence in both domestic and global defence markets.

SMPP is a trusted leader in delivering innovative solutions to armed forces worldwide. With a steadfast commitment to quality, the company has established itself as a reliable partner for defence organisations in over 20 countries.

As a market leader in India, it has carved out a niche both domestically and internationally, renowned for cutting-edge products and an unwavering focus on excellence. Quality remains the utmost priority, ensuring that all products consistently meet the highest standards and fulfill the evolving needs of the global defence community.

We have successfully supplied our products to various countries in Middle East, Europe, the US, and the Asian market (including the Philippines, Romania, Finland, the Netherlands, Colombia, the US, France, Germany, Armenia, Sri Lanka, Brazil, Taiwan, the UAE, Estonia, Spain, Thailand, Italy, Norway, Poland, Burkina Faso, Switzerland, Saudi Arabia, Australia, the UK, and others). Currently, we have ongoing orders from the Middle East, Europe, the US, and the Asian market.

Bulletproof jackets can be heavy (especially those with hard armour plates like                         NIJ Level IV). Prolonged usage increases fatigue and causes strain on the neck and back, hindering the operational capability of the soldier in a combat situation.

A proper weight distribution system spreads the load across the shoulders, chest, back, and waist rather than concentrating it in one area. The Weight Distribution (WD) System utilises a double-acting prosthetic Spine Bar that acts as a second spine.

The WD Spine Bar allows shifting the weight between the shoulders and hip belt, dramatically improving the agility of the soldier’s performance by reducing stress on muscles, preventing fatigue, and improving mobility. The System allows the user to engage and disengage the system while sitting and standing positions without removing the jacket.

DC: Which regions or countries are you targeting for exports, and what is the current contribution of exports to your revenue? Have you been able to tap into offset clauses under major Indian defence deals to expand your global presence? Are you seeking strategic partnerships or joint ventures in friendly nations for local production or distribution?

AK: Our focus for exports is towards South America, Southeast Asia, and the countries of the European and African continents.  We are already in a strategic partnership with a leading Ammunition manufacturing company of the world, and we are looking at establishing local production in some of the key markets where the rules call for the same or are of strategic importance.

DC: What are SMPP’s strategic growth areas over the next 3 to 5 years in the Indian and global defence markets? Are there plans to expand beyond ballistic protection into adjacent defence technologies like UAV armour or anti-drone systems? How is SMPP aligning its R&D roadmap with future Indian Armed Forces’ requirements under Make in India and Atmanirbhar Bharat?

AK: The flagship product of SMPP is Bullet Proofing Protection of Individual soldiers as well as the protection of Air, Land, and Naval platforms. We are probably one of the largest integrated manufacturers of Ballistic Protection products in the world.

We manufacture one of the most advanced forms of Ceramics made from Boron Carbide for the personal protection of soldiers and for the strengthening of Land, Sea, and Aerial weapon platforms.

Our products have been used in many parts of the world for multifarious applications such as helicopters, aircraft, tanks, sea platforms, and lightweight body armour. We have also supplied over a million Combustible Cartridge Cases for all calibers of Artillery Guns, Tanks, and Mortars, which are in the inventory of the Indian Army.

Boron carbide is one of the hardest ceramic materials known, falling just short of diamond and cubic boron nitride. Because of its low density, it has become the material of choice for body armour systems.

We are among one of the few companies in the world that manufactures advanced ceramics for lightweight ceramic composite solutions based on Boron Carbide, which offer multi-hit capability at low densities.

Ceramics based on boron carbide are remarkable for their low density (weight per unit volume) and elevated hardness as compared to other ceramic and non-ceramic materials.

A major expertise of SMPP is in the manufacturing of shaped ballistic protection plates from Boron Carbide. Traditionally, helicopter armour panels have been flat, but we optimised the integration of the armour panels by manufacturing shaped or moulded panels, which not only improve protection but also reduce the overall weight of the platform.

Our monolithic panels have a ‘multi-hit’ absorption capability. They can stop multiple bullet impacts and yet retain their structural integrity within reasonable limits. Our armour for both fixed and rotary aircraft is qualified to the AS-9100 standards.

The company has been manufacturing ammunition components for over three decades. We began in 1991-92 with combustible cartridge cases, making ammunition manufacturing a natural forward integration for us.

Before 2019, private-sector companies had restrictions on producing large-calibre ammunition. However, when the sector was opened by the government, SMPP promptly started its efforts in this area.

At SMPP, we have given significant thought to this and have developed plans for manufacturing all varieties of 155 mm ammunition and conducting R&D on PGMs.

The cost of PGM is approximately 100 times higher than standard ammunition. If we succeed in manufacturing PGMs, it could unlock vast export opportunities for us.

While the challenges are many, our long-term plans include work on PGMs and TGMs, though further details remain confidential. Our ammunition plant construction is progressing well, and we have cleared all trials conducted till now by the Army on the ammunition fielded by us.

Drone warfare has proven highly effective in recent conflicts such as Russia-Ukraine, Armenia-Azerbaijan, and Israel-Hamas. Drones are used to drop loitering ammunition, which employs sensors for pinpoint target delivery.

Our long-term plans include the development of drones and loitering ammunition. Loitering ammunition can also be delivered through artillery, and we are in discussions with a major global company to manufacture such ammunition for 155mm guns. However, this is still in the planning phase, and we are not ready to share further details at this stage.

DC: SMPP is known for indigenous ballistic materials. Could you elaborate on your proprietary technologies, like Boron Carbide or Polyshield? How much of your product line is completely indigenous, and how do you maintain quality and certification to NATO or BIS standards? Are there collaborations with DRDO, academia, or other Indian start-ups to accelerate innovation?

AK: SMPP is an indigenous designer and manufacturer of defence equipment, including ammunition components, personal protection products, and protection kits for land, air, and sea platforms.

SMPP commenced its operations in 1985 and started in defence with the manufacturing of combustible cartridge cases using in-house developed moulds and machines in 1992.

In 2008, the company set up a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility for personal protection products, including critical raw materials, making it 100% IDDM.

Boron Carbide is one of the lightest materials available for ballistic protection. It not only stops bullets but also provides multi-hit protection using a monolithic plate.

We achieve this at a significantly lower density compared to others, making it highly attractive in the global market. This material is used in applications such as the Airbus A400M and provides ballistic solutions for both Indian and global armed forces.

We are one of the few companies that manufacture these ceramics, and that gives us an edge because we are able to make multiple shapes for multiple products.

For instance, we developed a helmet capable of stopping a hard steel core round and an armour-piercing round, which is one of the first, for which we received three patents, two in India and one in the US.

SMPP is the first company in India to qualify for the BIS standards in India for Bullet Resistant Jackets and Ballistic Shields. BIS (Bureau of Indian Standards) has come out with standards for ballistic products that are much more stringent than the International NIJ standard.

DC:   What are the key challenges you face in scaling up within India’s evolving defence procurement and quality compliance frameworks? How has SMPP integrated with the iDEX, DAP-2020, or other Indian defence procurement reform initiatives? How do you ensure operational and cyber resilience given increasing threats to defence manufacturers in the digital era?

AK:    The impact of Atmanirbharta is being felt very positively in the development of the defence market in India, as both the users and the producers of defence equipment and weapons are making all-out efforts to make India successful in the indigenous production for supply not only to our Armed Forces but also to export our products to various countries across the world. Though we have made a lot of progress in Atmanirbharta since 2014, we still have a long way to go.

A major factor driving the growth is the effort of the Government of India to induct new technologies through DRDO, start-ups under the IDEX initiative, and the Private sector through the ‘Make in India’ procedures of DAP-2020.

The DRDO is making major policy changes to incorporate the user from the R&D stage itself, and such initiatives are visible now. As a result, the gap between the requirements of users and the ability of our defence industry is closing, and most of the RFP parameters are being set, taking into consideration the production capacity of the industry.

The defence forces are now interacting with the private sector and are providing more clarity on the exact requirements of users to the private sector. The academia and the start-ups are also getting part of the R&D funds from the budget allocation of the DRDO.

In addition, the government is making policy changes from time to time, which are equally inclined towards the exports of indigenous manufactured products, as it is towards the meeting of the internal requirements of the defence forces.

We at SMPP follow a very practical approach in ensuring the utmost quality of our products. Besides following the parameters of the RFP, which lay down the technical specifications of the product, we go a step forward to interact with the users of the product and try to understand from them the operational usage of our products, which will remain most conducive to them in its lifetime use.

Our technical quality follows the concept of very stringent checks by maintaining adherence to standards such as AS 9100D, BA 9000, etc., and manufacturing through the most modern and state-of-the-art machinery, which is mostly automated to ensure minimum human intervention. We have followed the concept of a layered approach in our manufacturing, as well as the quality control and checks.

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