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 facility is among the first fully indigenously built production lines in India and has an annual capacity of 360,000 shells, supported by advanced forging and machining capabilities for large-calibre ammunition projectiles. The new empty shell line significantly enhances Balu Forge’s ability to deliver high-precision machining solutions for critical defence applications. The company plans to further expand this production line to cater to rising domestic and global demand. The entire forging line has achieved near-total automation, powered by FANUC robotics, positioning it among the most advanced facilities in both the Indian and global defence manufacturing markets. Designed entirely 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, with a cycle time of just 55 seconds. This development aligns with Balu Forge’s long-term strategy to broaden its precision engineering portfolio across industries and geographies, with a continued focus on supplying fully machined components. The commissioning forms part of the company’s phased plan to commercialise its Belgaum greenfield facility. Balu Forge is also preparing to roll out several additional high-precision production lines in the near future, supporting the government’s Atmanirbhar Bharat mission and strengthening India’s defence manufacturing ecosystem. Commenting on the milestone, Trimaan Chandock, Executive Director at Balu Forge, said the advanced empty shell production line opens a new category for the company, enabling it to diversify into large-calibre ammunition projectiles beyond 155 mm shells, including 120 mm, 105 mm and 81 mm variants. He added that the fully automated, indigenously developed and unmanned forging line represents a significant technological achievement for both Balu Forge and the Indian defence industry, marking the first phase of the company’s long-term vision to expand its contribution to domestic defence production through high-precision manufacturing.