Swedish Defence Firm SAAB Wants Indian Suppliers As Part Of Global Supply Chain

Swedish defence and aerospace major SAAB is looking beyond just making the Carl Gustaf M4 in India. The company wants Indian suppliers to become part of its global supply chain, Tapan Rishi Bhatnagar, Chief Operating Officer, SAAB FFVO India, has said.

Speaking at the NDTV Defence Summit 2026, Bhatnagar said India has now reached a stage where it can manufacture complex defence systems.

"Making in India for India and for the world" is the next step," he said.

#NDTVDefenceSummit2026 | Watch this detailed conversation with NDTV's @ShivAroor and Tapan Bhatnagar, COO, SAAB FFVO India, on 'Beyond Assembly to Autonomy: Securing India's Core Defence Technologies'#NDTVDefenceSummit pic.twitter.com/cC040TmghV

— NDTV (@ndtv) September 27, 2026

"We are talking about Indian vendors, now that we are evaluating and approving, are part of our global supply chains," Bhatnagar said.

SAAB wants more Indian companies to become part of its global network. "We are looking at involving and incorporating the supply chain into our global supply networks," he said.

SAAB is setting up a new Carl Gustaf M4 manufacturing facility in Jhajjar, Haryana. It will be the first facility outside Sweden to manufacture the weapon.

The Carl Gustaf is a Swedish shoulder launched weapon that has been used by the Indian Army for more than 50 years.

Bhatnagar said, "The Jhajjar facility that's coming up right now is going to focus on the Carl Gustav M4, which is the most advanced variant of a weapon that has become a staple to the Indian military, to the Indian Army specifically, for 52 years."

Bhatnagar said the progress should not be measured only by the percentage of parts made in India. He stated that Indian companies should not just make parts using designs given by SAAB. "They should also share their ideas on how the parts or systems can be made better."

The SAAB top executive said engineers and workers working with suppliers in Sweden often suggest new ways of doing things. He wants Indian suppliers to reach the same stage.

"We are hoping that now that we are present in India, we will get much faster turnaround to the feedback that we receive back to the customer so that they can exploit the weapon to its maximum potential," Bhatnagar added.