First India-Manufactured Negev LMGs Delivered to Army

India’s infantry modernisation drive received a fresh boost with the delivery of the first batch of 2,000 India-made Negev 7.62×51 mm light machine guns to the Indian Army under the Make in India programme. The weapons, produced in India through PLR Systems, are part of a much larger contract for around 41,000 light machine guns intended to replace the Army’s ageing 5.56×45 mm INSAS LMGs. Reports indicate that another 4,000 weapons are expected to be delivered later this year.

The delivery is significant because it marks the steady localisation of a frontline infantry weapon originally designed by Israel Weapon Industries. The Negev is now being manufactured at the Adani Group’s facility in Gwalior after the group took over PLR Systems, which had long served as IWI’s Indian small-arms partner. The handover has been described as part of the technology transfer and indigenisation process aligned with India’s self-reliance push in defence manufacturing.

For the Army, the shift is operationally important. The 7.62×51 mm Negev offers greater lethality than the INSAS light machine gun it is replacing, while its belt-fed configuration gives troops a higher sustained rate of fire compared to magazine-fed systems. In automatic mode, the weapon reportedly fires at more than 700 rounds per minute, and it is also capable of semi-automatic fire for more deliberate engagement. Its effective range exceeds 800 metres, and at roughly 7.5 to 7.6 kg, it is considered one of the lighter guns in its class.

The platform is built for varied combat conditions. Reports note that it can be used from ground mounts as well as vehicles, helicopters and naval platforms. It is also equipped with Picatinny rails and low-light sighting features, making it suitable for modern battlefield requirements, including night operations and rapid target engagement. The induction of these guns is expected to improve suppressive fire capability for Indian infantry units, especially in demanding operational sectors along sensitive borders.

This is not India’s first experience with the Negev family. The Army had earlier procured 16,479 Negev light machine guns through emergency procurement in 2020, and those deliveries were subsequently completed. The new order, however, is more consequential because it folds the weapon into the domestic manufacturing ecosystem rather than relying purely on imported supply. That makes the latest handover as much an industrial milestone as a tactical one.

Strategically, the development underlines two parallel trends in Indian defence acquisition: the continued importance of India-Israel defence cooperation, and the increasing role of the private sector in building weapons systems inside the country. If production continues at pace, the Negev programme could become one of the clearer examples of how imported combat-proven designs are being absorbed into India’s own defence manufacturing base.

Reference:

Udayavani
https://udayavani.com/international/subcategory-india-israel-negev-lmg-delivery-make-in-india-defence-215419?lang=en

ThePrint — 1st batch of 2000 India-made Israeli Negev LMGs delivered to Army; 4000 more to be delivered this year
https://theprint.in/defence/1st-batch-of-2000-india-made-israeli-negev-lmgs-delivered-to-army-4000-more-to-be-delivered-this-year/2890886/

Times of India — Make in India: Adani ships first ‘Prahar’ LMG batch to army
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/make-in-india-adani-ships-first-prahar-lmg-batch-to-army/articleshow/129869104.cms

Times of India — Adani Defence delivers first batch of 2,000 LMGs to Army ahead of schedule
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/defence/news/adani-defence-delivers-first-batch-of-2000-lmgs-to-army-ahead-of-schedule/articleshow/129874252.cms

Economic Times — Adani Defence delivers first batch of 2000 ‘Prahar’ light machine guns to Army
https://m.economictimes.com/news/defence/adani-defence-delivers-first-batch-of-2000-prahar-light-machine-guns-to-army/articleshow/129862548.cms

NDTV — IWI CEO Exclusive: India Gets ‘Made In India’ Negev LMGs, Big Boost To Defence Firepower
https://www.ndtv.com/video/iwi-ceo-exclusive-india-gets-made-in-india-negev-lmgs-big-boost-to-defence-firepower-1077659