Last Updated:January 12, 2026, 21:13 IST The indigenous IIT Madras project boosts the range of existing Army guns by nearly 50 percent by upgrading ammunition rather than platforms. An IIT Madras-led effort demonstrates how India can extend artillery range using indigenous, tested ammunition technology outside DRDO. (IMAGE: IIT Madras/X) The Indian Institute of Technology Madras has announced a major defence-technology milestone with the successful development and testing of ramjet-assisted artillery shells that can extend the range of existing Indian Army guns by nearly 50 percent, without requiring new platforms or missile systems. In a post shared on X, IIT Madras said the innovation embeds a compact ramjet engine inside a standard 155 mm artillery shell, replacing the conventional base-bleed unit. Unlike traditional shells that rely solely on the initial force of firing, the ramjet design allows the projectile to continue generating thrust after it exits the gun barrel, significantly increasing its range while retaining lethality. Trials conducted across multiple artillery platforms showed substantial gains. The Advanced Towed Artillery Gun System (ATAGS) recorded an increase from …