Swedish defence firm Saab gets 100% FDI approval to make Carl Gustaf M4 weapons in India

Defence FDI push: Twenty-three years after India opened up its defence sector for Foreign Direct Investments (FDI), Swedish firm Saab, which made its India foray announcement on Monday, steps into a dynamic defence production ecosystem prevailing in the country. Saab has unveiled its plans to set up a manufacturing facility in Haryana. Görgen Johansson, Head of Saab’s business area Dynamics says the defence firm will be partnering with Indian sub-suppliers and the systems manufactured at the facility will fully meet the requirements of “Make in India”. 

Make in India 

Describing the setting up of its manufacturing facility in India, as a milestone in Saab’s business, Görgen Johansson, Head of Saab’s business area Dynamics said the defence firm will be partnering with Indian sub-suppliers and the systems manufactured at the facility will fully meet the requirements of “Make in India”. 

“It is a great honour to be trusted as a global defence company to receive approval for 100 per cent foreign direct investment in India,” said  Johansson. “This underlines our strong commitment to Make in India and our excellent collaboration with the Indian Defence Forces,” Johansson further added.  

With Armed forces since 1976 

Mats Palmberg, Chairman and Managing Director of Saab India, said the new Carl-Gustaf M4 weapon is compatible with a wide range of ammunition that can handle all sorts of targets including built-up areas, and armoured vehicles, and also be used to illuminate battlefields during night-time operations. 

Palmberg said it is this range of ammunitions that gives soldiers operating Carl-Gustaf the edge over the enemy. "From anti-tank rounds to illumination and smoke rounds, these munitions can handle everything. The range can vary between 400m and 2100m,” the Saab India CMD added.   

The ammunition can be used for both full-scale operations and low-intensity conflicts. Saab’s Carl-Gustaf system has been in service with the Indian Army since 1976 and is established as the main shoulder-launched weapon in the Indian Armed Forces. Now Carl-Gustaf will produce the latest generation of the Carl-Gustaf shoulder-launched weapon. 

Saab is a leading defence and security company with which envisages helping countries safeguard their land and people. Empowered by its 20,000 talent pool, Saab constantly pushes the boundaries of technology to create a safer, more sustainable and more equitable world, said a company statement. 

Saab designs manufactures and maintains advanced systems in aeronautics, weapons, command and control, sensors and underwater systems. Saab is headquartered in Sweden. It has major operations all over the world and is part of the domestic defence capability of several nations.