Smith & Wesson To Take A Shot At Indian Market

The sidearm that has graced innumerable shoot-and-scoot sagas is now gunning for the Indian market. After proving the calibre of its products in over 200 countries, US handgun giant Smith and Wesson (S&W) is now seeking a joint venture to manufacture and market its famous line of pistols and other law enforcement products in India.

The Springfield, Massachusetts-based company has already gained a beach-head in the country through a recent order by Indian paramilitary forces for 500 pieces of its specialised handcuffs, which will be used in anti-terrorist operations. And it has now set its sights firmly on establishing a substantial presence in the promising Indian market, according to S&W regional manager Drew Sala.

 

The S&W handcuffs have a unique spring action, unlike conventional Indian handclasps which need to be locked with a large iron key. The former are made from corrosion-resistant carbon steel and the key is used only to unlock them.

Drew said the guns giant was conducting talks with a few potential partners, but declined to reveal their names. He cited knowledge of the industry, financial soundness, and the manufacturing and marketing set-ups of the potential partners as the key criteria that the company would consider.

S&W makes over 50 models of pistols, revolvers and automatics, ranging from the small 0.22 calibre to the large 0.45 calibre, with the .38 being favoured by several law enforcement departments. The company is currently participating in the India International Civil and Defence Industry fair, its first ever exposure to India.

Sala said S&W was quite active in the Asia-Pacific market and its products were being used by law-enforcement agencies from Japan to South-East Asia. India, with its huge defence, para-military and police force was a potential large market, he pointed out.

The S&W executive conceded that the company faces competition from Czech, Russian and Polish companies, but said its products were the best in terms of quality, reliability and long service life. S&W products prices also compared favourably with similar calibre guns from Eastern and Western Europe, he claimed, adding that its yearly production of handguns amounts to over 500,000 pieces.