Quick Answer: OFB stood for Ordnance Factory Board, the government body that once managed India’s network of ordnance factories. On October 1, 2021, OFB was dissolved and its factories were corporatized into seven new Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs).
What Was OFB?
OFB (Ordnance Factory Board) was the apex body that managed the Indian Ordnance Factories — a network of factories that manufactured ammunition, weapons, vehicles, and equipment for the Indian Armed Forces. The Indian Ordnance Factories system traces its origins to 1801, when the Gun Carriage Agency was established in Cossipore, Kolkata, making it one of the oldest industrial organisations in India.
OFB itself, as a formal statutory board overseeing the entire factory network, functioned under the Ministry of Defence for decades before its 2021 restructuring.
What Replaced OFB in 2021
This is the most important fact to know about OFB: it no longer exists in its original form. On October 1, 2021, the Government of India dissolved the Ordnance Factory Board and corporatized its 41 factories into seven new, independent Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs):
The Seven New DPSUs
- Munitions India Limited (MIL) — ammunition and explosives
- Armoured Vehicles Nigam Limited (Avani) — tanks and armoured vehicles
- Advanced Weapons and Equipment India Limited (AWE India) — weapons and equipment
- Troop Comforts Limited (TCL) — clothing, general stores, and troop comfort items
- Yantra India Limited (YIL) — vehicles and equipment
- India Optel Limited (IOL) — optical and electronic equipment
- Gliders India Limited (GIL) — parachutes and para-gliders
Why OFB Matters for SSB Interview and GK
OFB is a classic GK trap: many candidates still refer to “OFB” as an active organisation without realising it was dissolved in 2021. Interviewers sometimes use this exact gap to test how current a candidate’s defence knowledge really is — knowing that OFB was corporatized into seven DPSUs is a strong way to demonstrate up-to-date awareness.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the full form of OFB?
OFB stood for Ordnance Factory Board.
Does OFB still exist?
No. OFB was dissolved on October 1, 2021, and its 41 factories were corporatized into seven new Defence Public Sector Undertakings.
What replaced the Ordnance Factory Board?
Seven new DPSUs replaced OFB: Munitions India Limited, Armoured Vehicles Nigam Limited, Advanced Weapons and Equipment India Limited, Troop Comforts Limited, Yantra India Limited, India Optel Limited, and Gliders India Limited.
When did the Indian Ordnance Factory system begin?
It traces its origins to 1801, when the Gun Carriage Agency was established in Cossipore, Kolkata.
Why was OFB corporatized?
The government corporatized OFB to improve efficiency, accountability, and competitiveness of India’s ordnance factories by converting them into independent, professionally managed companies.