In India, Ordnance Factory Day is observed annually on 18 March to mark the establishment of the first ordnance factory by the British in 1801 at Cossipore, Kolkata, during the colonial rule. The Ministry of Defense celebrates this day by hoisting the Indian flag, singing the national anthem and displaying various guns and military equipment used by the Indian Armed Forces to the public. Ordnance Factories is a government branch responsible for the research, development, testing, production and marketing of weapons for the military.
History :
The work of ordnance factories in India was earlier done under the Ordnance Factory Board (OFB). However, in 2021, the Government of India decided to transfer the control of these 41 production units to seven state-owned companies of the Department of Military Production, Ministry of Defense (DDP). The transfer took place on October 1, 2021, thereby disbanding the old Ordnance Factory Board.
