Bharat Forge CMD Baba Kalyani Honoured for Advancing India’s Defence Manufacturing

Baba Kalyani Wins Indian of the Year 2025 in Business for Transforming Defence Manufacturing

Industry veteran Baba Kalyani , Chairman and Managing Director of Bharat Forge , has been named Indian of the Year 2025 in the Business category , marking national recognition of his contribution to shaping India’s modern defence production landscape. His work is widely credited with strengthening indigenous capability, boosting exports, and positioning India as a competitive global supplier of artillery systems and forged components.

Driving India’s Defence Self-Reliance

The award acknowledges Kalyani’s pivotal role in accelerating the country’s defence manufacturing ecosystem. Through Bharat Forge and its defence subsidiary Kalyani Strategic Systems Limited (KSSL) , he has championed technology integration, advanced production systems, and export growth. His initiatives align closely with the ‘Make in India’ and Atmanirbhar Bharat ambitions—reducing import dependence and enabling Indian-designed weapon platforms to reach overseas markets.

Shaping a Global Manufacturing Force

Kalyani has previously identified three major influences that guided his entrepreneurial trajectory: disciplined schooling at a military academy, early business mentorship, and the 2014 policy reform that opened defence manufacturing to private players. The latter proved transformational, enabling Bharat Forge to evolve from an engineering powerhouse into a leading exporter of indigenous military hardware, including cutting-edge artillery systems now deployed internationally.

EXAM ORIENTED FACTS

• Baba Kalyani received the Indian of the Year 2025 (Business) award.

• He heads Bharat Forge and Kalyani Strategic Systems Limited .

• India’s defence sector opened to private manufacturing in 2014 .

• Bharat Forge now exports Indian-manufactured artillery systems globally .

Impact and Legacy

Now in its 15th edition, the Indian of the Year Awards honours individuals shaping India’s growth narrative. Kalyani’s recognition underscores the rising impact of private industry in national defence capability—bridging technology gaps, enabling high-value exports, and enabling India to emerge as a future-ready manufacturing hub. His leadership continues to inspire innovation, industrial resilience, and strategic capacity-building across the sector.