India’s Ordnance Factories: A Performance Analysis

The ordnance factory organization has grown over the years and now consists of 39 factories with two more being set up. The organization, which dates back to the eighteenth century, has however not been able to rise up to the expectation of its prime customer. The paper argues that for the organization to be able function more efficiently, its management needs to be corporatised, as suggested by many, particularly the Kelkar Committee. At the same time, the organization has to assume higher responsibility with respect to R&D investment, execution of contracts, quality assurance and exports, in order to remain competent in its area of functioning.