Ordnance Factories Board

Ordnance Factories Board

Native name	आयुध निर्माणी बोर्ड
Type	Government Organisation
Industry	Defence
Founded	1775
Headquarters	Ayudh Bhawan, Kolkata
Area served	Worldwide
Key people	S. C. Bajpai, IOFS (Director General Ordnance Factories & Chairman, OFB)
Products	Small arms, Aircraft weapons, Anti-aircraft warfare, Naval weapons, Anti-ship warfare, Anti-submarine warfare, Anti-tank warfare, Missiles, Missile launchers, Rockets, Rocket launchers, Bombs, Grenades, Mortars, Mines, Military vehicles, Engines, Armoured vehicles, Chemical warfare, Clothing, Artillery, Ammunition, Propellants, Explosives.
Revenue	$3 billion (₹19982.71 crores) (2015-'16)
Number of employees	~164,000
Website	ofb.gov.in

Ordnance Factories Board (OFB) (Hindi: आयुध निर्माणी बोर्ड; IAST: Āyudh nirmāṇī borḍ) consisting of the Indian Ordnance Factories (भारतीय आयुध निर्माणियाँ; Bhāratīya āyudh nirmāṇiyān), is an industrial organisation, functioning under the Department of Defence Production of Ministry of Defence, Government of India. It is engaged in research, development, production, testing, marketing and logistics of a comprehensive product range in the areas of air, land and sea systems. OFB comprises forty-one Ordnance Factories, nine Training Institutes, three Regional Marketing Centres and four Regional Controllerates of Safety, which are spread all across the country.

OFB is the world's largest government-operated production organisation, and the oldest organisation run by the Government of India. It has a total workforce of about 164,000. It is often called the "Fourth Arm of Defence", and the "Force Behind the Armed Forces" of India. It is amongst the top 50 defence equipment manufacturers in the world. Its total sales were at $3 billion (₹19982.71 crores) in 2015-'16. Every year, 18 March is celebrated as the Ordnance Factories' Day in India.

The history and development of the Indian Ordnance Factories is directly linked with the British reign in India. The East India Company considered military hardware to be a vital element for securing their economic interest in India and increasing their political power. In 1775, the British East India company accepted the establishment of the Board of Ordnance at Fort William, Calcutta. This marks the official beginning of the Army Ordnance in India.

In 1787, a gunpowder factory was established at Ichapore; it began production in 1791, and the site was later used as a rifle factory, beginning in 1904. In 1801, Gun Carriage Agency (now known as Gun & Shell Factory, Cossipore) was established at Cossipore, Calcutta, and production began on 18 March 1802. This is the oldest ordnance factory in India still in existence.