HYDERABAD: ICOMM–CARACAL to manufacture CSR sniper rifles for CRPF
HYDERABAD: In a landmark Indo-UAE defence collaboration, EDGE group entity CARACAL and ICOMM Tele Ltd — a group company of Megha Engineering & Infrastructures Ltd (MEIL) — have been awarded a contract to supply 200 CSR 338 sniper rifles to the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF). The rifles will be manufactured and delivered from the ICOMM–CARACAL Small Arms Complex in Hyderabad.
The ICOMM–CARACAL Small Arms Complex was inaugurated in April 2025 and serves as a Make in India manufacturing hub for advanced small arms and related technology transfer to support India’s armed and central police forces as well as CARACAL’s export requirements.
CARACAL’s chief executive underlined the defence-industrial significance of the deal, saying it strengthens CARACAL’s commitment to India’s Make in India initiative and marks a historic transfer of small-arms technology between the UAE and India. ICOMM said the contract validates its strategy to build sovereign defence capabilities, create skilled manufacturing jobs in Hyderabad and provide lifecycle support.
The CSR 338 is a high-performance bolt-action sniper rifle chambered in .338 Lapua Magnum. Key features include a 27-inch barrel, a 10-round magazine, ambidextrous magazine release and safety mechanisms, a two-stage adjustable precision trigger and a four-position telescopic foldable stock. CARACAL and EDGE list the rifle’s weight, dimensions and other technical particulars in product materials.
Delivery of the first India-produced CSR 338 rifles is scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2025, with ICOMM committing to on-site lifecycle support and the option to scale production to meet future requirements of India’s security services and export customers.
Background
ICOMM Tele Ltd is part of the MEIL group and operates a 110-acre manufacturing complex in Hyderabad that covers defence systems, composites and other engineering capabilities. CARACAL is an EDGE group small-arms designer and manufacturer that has pursued technology transfer and local production agreements with ICOMM since the 2022 memorandum of understanding.