Pune: Asmi is India’s first indigenous 9mm machine pistol developed jointly by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) facility in Pune and the Indian Army’s Mhow-based Infantry School.

According to the Ministry of Defence, the weapon has huge potential in armed forces as a personal weapon for heavy weapon detachments, commanders, tank and aircraft crews, drivers and dispatch riders, radio or radar operators, for closed quarter battles, counter-insurgency and counter-terrorism operations and more.

It is likely to find employability with the central and state police organisations, as well as VIP protection duties and policing. The machine pistol is likely to have production cost under Rs 50,000 each and has potential for exports. The weapon is aptly named Asmi, which means pride, self-respect and also hard work.

DRDO’s Pune-based facility Armament Research and Development Establishment (ARDE) and the Infantry School designed and created Asmi in a record time of four months.

The Defence Ministry said in a statement said, “The machine pistol fires the in-service 9mm ammunition and sports an upper receiver made from aircraft-grade aluminium and lower receiver from carbon fibre. A 3-dimensional printing process has been used in designing and prototyping of various parts including trigger components made by metal 3D printing.”