JSHL gets DRDO licence to produce high nitrogen steel

Foraying into the defence market, India's largest stainless steel maker Jindal Stainless Ltd today signed a licence agreement with the DRDO , mostly used in strategic military platforms and weapons systems like missiles.
Calling it a major milestone, DRDO chairman Dr S Christopher said production of high nitrogen steel (HNS) in India will significantly help the country's ambitious defence indigenisation programme besides ensuring cost efficiency for production of weapons systems.
The Jindal Stainless (Hisar) Ltd (JSHL) said it is the first company to receive licence from the DRDO for commercial production of HNS, the technology for which has been developed jointly by the steel maker and Hyderabad-based Defence Metallurgical Research Laboratory (DMRL) of DRDO.

The HNS has cleared multiple levels of ballistic tests in different calibers. The JSHL signed the pact with the DRDO in presence of Minister of State for Defence Subhash Bhamre.
The DRDO said any private sector steel company can approach it for licence to produce HNS, a ballistic and blast protection material.
"We are looking at production of 15,000 to 20,000 tonnes of HNS per annum initially which will be increased gradually. It will be going to be priced 30-40 per cent cheaper than the imported material," JSHL Vice Chairman Abhyuday Jindal said.

Bhamre complimented the DRDO for coming out with the "breakthrough" technology for the defence industry and called upon them to use HNS extensively.

HNS can be used for production of a wide-range of weapons and other military platforms including missiles, infantry combat vehicle, light specialty vehicle, light armoured vehicle, main battle tank and various other aviation and naval systems.
Jindal Stainless said it is also working to produce additional variants of HNS with enhanced blast and ballistic protection to cater to niche requirements of the Indian Defence sector.
It said HNS exhibits higher energy absorption level, enhances crash worthiness to the entire artillery system and has significantly higher impact values with a far superior material for blast protection.
"HNS has passed multiple levels of ballistic tests in different calibers with 8-10 times higher impact and blast protection," the company said.

A DRDO official said the use of HNS will replace the existing import of Rolled Homogenous Armour (RHA), thereby resulting in improved cost efficiency in material acquisition.
The licence does not allow Jindal Stainless to export the HNS but the company said it will try to get the clearence.