Nagpur Transforms into India's Ammunition Hub Amid Global Turmoil
Buoyed by surging demand during Operation Sindoor and escalating geopolitical tensions worldwide, Nagpur has rapidly evolved into India's primary ammunition manufacturing center. However, this industrial boom has created a perilous environment where ground-level workers face constant danger, with fatalities occurring alarmingly frequently.
A Deadly Toll: Worker Fatalities in the Explosives Industry
Nagpur district has witnessed 35 deaths in just 36 months among minimum-wage workers handling explosives. This grim statistic excludes a major explosion at an ordnance factory in Bhandara, located 60 kilometers from Nagpur, where nine workers perished in January 2025.
The region's deadly history with explosives extends further back. In 2016, at least 16 people, including a Lieutenant Colonel, died at Pulgaon's Central Ammunition Depot (CAD), approximately 90 kilometers from Nagpur, when a building storing anti-tank explosives caught fire and exploded overnight. Two years later, another six workers lost their lives at the same facility while destroying expired rockets.
Nagpur's Explosives Manufacturing Landscape
Nagpur hosts 48 licensed private sector facilities producing everything from high-energy military explosives like HMX, RDX, and TNT to mining explosives and even firecrackers. A significant portion of this production is exported internationally.
The industry is dominated by 5-6 major private players, with the Solar Group standing as the largest manufacturer, producing a comprehensive range of weapons from grenades to rockets. Data from the Petroleum and Safety Organisation (PESO) reveals that facilities in Nagpur manufacture critical materials including:
- Pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN)
- Detonators and military fuses
- Cast boosters and emulsion explosives
- Various forms of gunpowder
Geopolitical Conflicts Fuel Production Surge
Recent international conflicts have dramatically increased ammunition demand, filling order books at Nagpur's private manufacturers. High-energy explosives produced here are primarily destined for Europe, South Africa, and less developed nations, creating a manufacturing frenzy that has outpaced safety considerations.
Even SBL Energy, where a recent blast occurred, operated a TNT plant with a substantial 3,000-ton annual capacity. Both Solar Group and SBL Energy have experienced multiple accidents and worker deaths throughout their operations.
Regulatory Challenges and Systemic Failures
The Petroleum and Safety Organisation (PESO), headquartered in Nagpur and operating under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, faces significant challenges in regulating this dangerous industry. Despite being responsible for all private sector explosives manufacturers, PESO has been hampered by a severe manpower shortage for over a decade.
With thousands of facilities spread across India, PESO employs fewer than 100 officers capable of conducting inspections. The organization's responsibilities include granting licenses and establishing storage and manpower limits, while safety protocols during manufacturing are governed by the Explosives Act.
Compounding these challenges, PESO lacks prosecution powers, which remain with state bureaucracies. District magistrates and police retain inspection rights, though these are typically exercised randomly rather than systematically. Furthermore, PESO has been rocked by corruption scandals, with its officers facing CBI raids in recent years.
Following accidents, PESO must conduct inquiries and submit reports to district magistrates. To date, reports for all accidents except one have been submitted, though the effectiveness of these investigations remains questionable given the organization's limited resources.
Nagpur's transformation into an ammunition hub represents both an economic opportunity and a human tragedy, where industrial growth has come at the unacceptable cost of worker lives amid inadequate regulatory oversight.
