Premier Explosives Limited is a Rs 260 Crore company established in 1980 and founded by the first generation entrepreneur Dr. A.N.Gupta, an alumnus of Indian School of Mines, Dhanbad. Since inception it has been a research and innovation oriented company by manufacturing explosives and detonators with totally indigenous technology in 1980's and 1990's.
At present, Company is engaged in manufacture of high energy materials like bulk explosives, packaged explosives, detonators, detonating fuse, solid propellants, pyrogen igniters, pyro devices, etc., having applications in mining, infrastructure, defence, space, homeland security and such other areas. The Company also operates and maintains solid propellant plants of defence and space establishments. The Company is the pioneer in indigenising the technology for manufacture of explosives and accessories. Premier Explosives also manufactures site-mixed slurry (SMS), bulk explosives and detonators.
Company started commercial production in September, 1993. The plants for PETN and detonating fuses went on stream in 1994-95. The company, which started out as an ancillary unit to Singareni Collieries, now also supplies to Coal India and Neyveli Lignite.
The Company's allied products have been used in defence, space, mining and infrastructure industries. It has been developing and manufacturing solid propellants for rockets like Pinaka, tactical missiles like Astra, Akash, LRSAM / MRSAM / QRSAM, Brahmos, etc., strategic missiles like Agni and also for strap-onmotors of satellite launchers. The extended capabilities of the company consist of products such as chaff, IR flares, explosive bolts, pyro devices, smoke markers, cable cutters, tear gas grenades and many other products including pyrogen igniters for defence and space applications.
The company had set up plants for bulk explosives in Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra. It has also diversifed into the production of white button mushrooms, which have export potential. It is availing of tax advantage by setting up a 100% EOU in Medak, Andhra Pradesh (inst. cap. : 3000 tpa). It acquired land and entered into an agreement with Tray Master, UK, for technical know-how and critical equipment. A marketing agreement has been entered into with Metro Trade, US, to market 70% of its production. The other 30% will be marketed directly. It started a division at Singrauli for manufacture of SMS explosives. The Company has also entered into the area of Rock Blasting & Drilling contracts.
In 2003, the Company emerged as a reliable provider of Solid Propellants for various missile projects, by venturing into defence products with manufacture of a small igniter. The Special Products Division of the Company commenced commercial production effective on February 01, 2005. The production of Solid Propellants was commissioned in September, 2006. Commercial production for manufacturing G.I.Wire, was commissioned in Feb' 09. An additional Bulk Explosive production plant was commissioned at Neyveli from October 2009. It commissioned Solid Fuel Complex (SFC), Jagdalpur operations from Nov' 09 and commissioned 800 kW Wind Mill in Pushpathur Village in Tamil Nadu in Sep' 09.
In 2013 Company started commercial-scale manufacture of detonators with Nickel Hydrazine Nitrate (NHN)as primary charge emerging as the world first to do so. The Katepally Greenfield Project operations was commissioned in 2021.
The Company held 10,000 Equity shares in PELNEXT Defence Systems Private Limited, representing 100% of equity share capital by making a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company in FY 2022; whereas Premier Wire Products Limited became a subsidiary of the Company by acquiring 80% equity stake in the Company.
The Company has dispatched the first export shipment of Rocket Motors for an overseas entity in February, 2023.