Ordnance Factories Day observed on 18 March 2026

Exam-focused facts from the 19 March 2026 current affairs briefing.

Key facts

Ordnance Factories Day is observed annually on 18 March.
The first Ordnance Factory in colonial India was established at Cossipore near Kolkata in 1801.
Production at the Gun Carriage Agency, Cossipore, started on 18 March 1802.
The Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) functions under the Department of Defence Production of the Ministry of Defence (MoD).
OFB is referred to as the 'Fourth Arm of Defence' and the 'Force Behind the Armed Forces' of India.
The Indian Ordnance Factories supply products to the Indian Army, Indian Navy, and Indian Air Force.
The Ordnance Factories organisation comprises 41 factories organised into five operational divisions of OFB.
The theme for Ordnance Factories Day 2026 is yet to be announced.