Balu Forge Industries Ltd, a precision engineering company specialising in forged and machined components, has commenced operations of its empty shell production line at its greenfield manufacturing campus in Belgaum, Karnataka. The line—one of India’s first fully indigenously built systems—has an annual production capacity of 360,000 shells and features an advanced forging and machining setup for large-calibre ammunition projectiles.

The new facility significantly enhances Balu Forge’s ability to deliver high-precision machining solutions for critical defence applications. The company also plans to expand the line further to meet rising domestic and global demand.

The forging line has achieved near 100 per cent automation, powered by FANUC Robotics, making it one of the most advanced systems in both India and the global defence manufacturing market. Entirely designed in-house, the production line involved collaboration with more than 18 machinery manufacturers to develop and commercialise a fully “Make in India” solution. The unmanned forging line has been programmed and commissioned internally, operating with a cycle time of 55 seconds.

This milestone aligns with Balu Forge’s long-term strategy to scale its precision engineering portfolio across industries and international markets, with a continued focus on supplying fully machined components. The commissioning of the empty shell line marks an important step in commercialising the company’s Belgaum greenfield facility. Additionally, Balu Forge is preparing to roll out multiple high-precision production lines in phases, supporting the government’s Atmanirbhar Bharat mission and strengthening India’s defence manufacturing ecosystem.