The indigenous UGRAM 7.62×51 mm battle rifle, which was Developed by Telangana-based startup Dvipa Defence in partnership with the Defence Research and Development Organisation’s (DRDO) Armament Research and Development Establishment (ARDE), has cleared Army and Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) trials and is now moving towards procurement by CAPFs. However, the rifle is now progressing towards induction into several Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs).
According to the company, the UGRAM was designed and developed in just 100 days, making it one of the country’s fastest indigenous small arms development programmes.
The company said the UGRAM has successfully passed the Army’s General Staff Qualitative Requirement (GSQR) trials, extensive field evaluations across different climatic conditions and the MHA Board trials.
Following the successful completion of these evaluations, procurement is now progressing for forces including the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) and the National Security Guard (NSG).
Dvipa Defence Managing Director Sibu Joseph said the company received its manufacturing licence in 2021 and established a production facility on more than 13 acres of land allotted by the Telangana government in Hyderabad.
He said the company has since developed over 100 indigenous weapon systems and variants, with the UGRAM emerging as its flagship platform.
“Our journey began with the manufacturing licence in 2021. Today, we have developed over 100 indigenous weapon systems and variants, with UGRAM emerging as our flagship platform. We remain committed to building world-class defence products in India for Indian security forces,” Joseph said.
According to Dvipa Defence, the UGRAM battle rifle features a gas-operated rotating bolt system, weighs less than four kilograms and has an effective firing range of up to 500 metres.
The company said the rifle has undergone extensive reliability and endurance testing before completing the required evaluation process.
Founded in 2018, Dvipa Defence manufactures its products from a licensed facility in Telangana and is expanding its portfolio of indigenous defence systems.
Besides the UGRAM rifle, the company is developing assault rifles, carbines, sub-machine guns, ultra-light machine guns and anti-drone platforms. Its portfolio also includes the U-19 sub-machine gun, U-45 assault rifle, Ultra-Light Machine Gun (ULMG) and the U-39 platform.
The company believes the successful completion of the UGRAM programme will strengthen Hyderabad’s position as a defence manufacturing hub while contributing to India’s efforts to reduce dependence on imported small arms.