Candidates searching for Ordnance Factory recruitment should begin with a structural fact that changed everything about where to apply.
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The Ordnance Factory Board no longer exists. It was dissolved and corporatised in 2021, and its factories were restructured into seven state-owned Defence Public Sector Undertakings under the Department of Defence Production, Ministry of Defence.
The factories remain. Ordnance Factory Khamaria, Ordnance Factory Chanda, Gun Carriage Factory Jabalpur, Ordnance Factory Ambajhari, Heavy Vehicles Factory Avadi — all still operate, still recruit, still train apprentices in Machinist, Welder, Electrician, Fitter and Turner trades.
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But the Board that used to advertise them does not. Recruitment is now DPSU by DPSU.
Yantra India Limited — headquartered in Nagpur, formed in 2021 — notified 3,979 Trade Apprentices in its 59th batch across 33 ordnance factories in 9 states. That is the scale of what continues.
Overview
| Point | Detail |
|---|---|
| Structure | OFB dissolved 2021 → 7 Defence PSUs under the Department of Defence Production |
| Yantra India Limited | Nagpur-headquartered DPSU; operates ordnance and ordnance equipment factories |
| 59th Batch Trade Apprentice | 3,979 posts — 2,843 Ex-ITI, 1,136 Non-ITI |
| Advertisement | YIL No. 1457 |
| Factories | 33 across 9 states |
| Qualification | Class 10 with 50% (Non-ITI) · + ITI with 50% (Ex-ITI) |
| Selection | Merit only — no written exam, no interview |
| Stipend | ₹8,200 (Non-ITI) · ₹9,600 (Ex-ITI) |
| Application | 1 February to 3 March 2026 — closed |
| Portal | recruit-gov.com |
1. The Seven Defence PSUs
Following the dissolution of the Ordnance Factory Board in 2021, its 41 factories were restructured into seven DPSUs:
| DPSU | Focus |
|---|---|
| Munitions India Limited | Ammunition and explosives |
| Armoured Vehicles Nigam Limited (AVNL) | Armoured vehicles — includes Heavy Vehicles Factory, Avadi |
| Advanced Weapons and Equipment India Limited | Weapons and equipment |
| Troop Comforts Limited | Troop comfort items |
| Yantra India Limited (YIL) | Ammunition, arms components, heavy equipment — Nagpur |
| India Optel Limited | Optical and optronic systems |
| Gliders India Limited | Parachutes and aerial delivery |
Each recruits independently. There is no common Ordnance Factory notification, and there has not been one since 2021.
Yantra India Limited is tasked with manufacturing defence hardware from munitions to vehicles and heavy weapons, and describes itself as combining “a legacy inherited from centuries-old ordnance factories” with modern Industry 4.0 standards.
The practical instruction: monitor the individual DPSU websites and ddpdoo.gov.in. A search for “Ordnance Factory Board recruitment” will not find what you are looking for.
2. The Trade Apprentice Route — Yantra India’s 59th Batch
| Aspect | Detail |
|---|---|
| Advertisement | YIL No. 1457 |
| Batch | 59th |
| Total | 3,979 — approximately |
| Ex-ITI | 2,843 |
| Non-ITI | 1,136 |
| Governing law | Apprentice Act 1961, Apprenticeship Rules 1992 and amendments |
| Application | 1 February to 3 March 2026 |
| Fee | ₹200 UR/OBC · ₹100 SC/ST/Women/PWD |
Note the split: 2,843 of 3,979 seats — roughly 71% — are reserved for Ex-ITI candidates. The structure clearly favours trained candidates.
The Factories
Vacancies are concentrated unevenly, and the distribution is the single most useful piece of information in the notification.
| Factory | Seats |
|---|---|
| Ordnance Factory Khamaria, Jabalpur (MP) | 498 |
| Ordnance Factory Chanda, Chandrapur (MS) | 415 |
| Ordnance Factory Ambajhari, Nagpur (MS) | 333 |
| Gun Carriage Factory Jabalpur (MP) | 221 |
| Ishapore (WB) | 200+ |
| Ordnance Factory Varangaon (MS) | 126 |
| Ordnance Factory Dehu Road, Pune | 109 |
| Ordnance Factory Bhusawal (MS) | 91 |
| Ordnance Factory Ambarnath, Thane | 80 |
| Ordnance Factory Katni, Jabalpur | 80 |
| High Explosive Factory Kirkee, Pune | 76 |
| Ordnance Factory Itarsi (MP) | 67 |
| Ordnance Factory Bhandara (MS) | 53 |
| Ordnance Factory Chandigarh | 52 |
| Ordnance Factory Jabalpur | 48 |
| Ammunition Factory Kirkee | 47 |
| Ordnance Factory Badmal, Bolangir (Odisha) | 21 |
| Ordnance Factory Nalanda (Bihar) | 20 |
States covered: Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Chandigarh, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Maharashtra, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal.
The highest concentrations are in Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra.
Trades: Fitter, Turner, Machinist, Electrician, Welder, CNC Programmer, COPA, Boiler Attendant, Plumber, Carpenter, Mechanic (various), Painter, Tailor and others.
3. The Rule That Makes Factory Choice a Strategy
“You can apply for only one factory. Only one application per candidate is allowed.”
And the merit list is prepared factory-wise.
| Category | Merit basis |
|---|---|
| Non-ITI | Factory-wise, on the overall percentage of marks in matriculation |
| Ex-ITI | Factory-wise AND trade-wise, on the simple average of the percentage of marks in Matriculation and ITI — minimum 50% in aggregate in each |
Read those two together, and the consequence is stark.
“The merit list is factory-wise for Non-ITI. That creates internal competition inside each factory unit. So, if a factory has 50 seats but receives 5,000 applications, cut-off will rise sharply.”
You are not competing nationally. You are competing inside the one factory you selected — and you cannot select another.
Ordnance Factory Nalanda has 20 seats. Ordnance Factory Khamaria has 498. Your choice of factory is the single largest variable in your probability of selection, and it is irreversible.
“That means location flexibility increases your probability.”
For Ex-ITI candidates the merit is trade-wise as well — so the calculation is your factory and your trade, not the drive as a whole.
4. Selection — Marks Only
There is no written exam and no interview.
| Stage | Detail |
|---|---|
| 1. Merit list | On marks and choice of Ordnance Factory, prepared separately for Non-ITI and Ex-ITI |
| 2. Document Verification | For provisionally selected candidates |
| 3. Medical Examination | Conducted by the respective factory |
| 4. Police Verification | — |
“After successful document verification of the provisionally selected candidates, medical examination will be conducted by the respective Ordnance and Ordnance Equipment Factory. Date, Time and Venue of Medical Examination will be communicated separately by the respective factory only.”
“Candidates passed in medical examination will be considered for further process of TA engagement.”
“Final selection of the candidates shall be in order of merit in each category, separately as per applicable Reservations Rules.”
One reservation note: “Vacancies notified against PH/PWD category are not separate but included in the total number of vacancies.”
What This Means for Preparation
“There is no written exam cushion here. No chance to compensate weak academic marks through preparation. What you scored earlier becomes your selection anchor. Which means this recruitment benefits disciplined academic performers more than late bloomers.”
That is an honest assessment. Your Class 10 and ITI marks are fixed. The only variables you control are the factory you choose and the accuracy of your application.
5. Eligibility
| Category | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Non-ITI | Class 10 with at least 50% marks, and at least 40% marks in both Mathematics and Science |
| Ex-ITI | Class 10 with at least 50% and an ITI certificate from NCVT/SCVT with at least 50% marks |
| Hazardous trades | Minimum age 18 years |
| Aadhaar | A valid 12-digit Aadhaar Card or Aadhaar Enrollment ID is required to apply |
Note the Non-ITI subject condition: 40% in both Mathematics and Science, separately. A candidate with 55% overall but 38% in Science does not qualify.
The Disqualification That Recurs
“Candidates who have already undergone apprenticeship in Ordnance and Ordnance Equipment Factories as on the date of this advertisement” are not eligible.
This is the same rule seen at BHEL Haridwar, where a completed apprenticeship disqualifies a candidate from another. Across the technical tier, the apprenticeship is a once-only opportunity.
6. The Rejection List — Read It Before Uploading
Yantra India’s advertisement lists the grounds for cancellation explicitly, and several are avoidable:
| Ground | Detail |
|---|---|
| Prior apprenticeship | Already undergone apprenticeship in Ordnance Factories |
| Age | Over-aged, under-aged, or Date of Birth not filled or wrongly filled |
| Multiple applications | Double or multiple applications submitted — candidature cancelled |
| Photograph | Application without photo; unclear photo; photo with cap; wearing goggles; disfigured, unrecognisable or unidentifiable photo |
| Signature | Unclear signature uploaded |
| Debarred list | Candidate’s name figuring in the debarred list |
| Mismatch | Mismatch of Name, Father’s name, Date of Birth, marks submitted and year of passing in the online application with the 10th certificate / ITI certificate |
The mismatch clause is the one that catches people. Every field must match your certificates exactly — name, father’s name, date of birth, marks, year of passing. Not approximately. Exactly.
And the photograph rules are specific: no cap, no goggles, recognisable.
“Decision of YIL/Ordnance and Ordnance Equipment Factories in all matters relating to the eligibility, acceptance/rejection of any application etc. shall be final and binding on the candidate and no query/correspondence shall be entertained in this regard.”
7. Stipend — And What Is Not Paid
| Category | Stipend |
|---|---|
| Non-ITI | ₹8,200 per month |
| Ex-ITI | ₹9,600 per month |
“No other allowances will be paid during the entire period of apprenticeship training.”
Read that plainly. The stipend is the whole of it. No HRA, no DA, no transport allowance.
For Ex-ITI candidates, the period of training already undergone will be considered for the purpose of determining the stipend — and training duration follows Schedule I of the Apprenticeship Rules 1992.
Payments “shall remain amenable to change” based on Government of India amendments.
One provision that offsets it: “Based on availability, the Apprentices may be provided with quarters/hostel accommodation by the Ordnance Factories.” Where accommodation is provided, ₹8,200 goes considerably further.
And: free medical treatment at Ordnance Factory hospitals is reported for apprentices.
8. What the Apprenticeship Leads To
It is training, not employment. “This is apprenticeship training, not permanent employment.”
But the certificate travels — and this is now the established pattern across the entire technical tier:
| Destination | What the apprenticeship gives you |
|---|---|
| BHEL Artisan Grade IV | NAC is mandatory — you cannot apply without it |
| RRB Technician Grade III | CCAA accepted in lieu of ITI |
| ISRO Technician-B | NAC accepted alongside ITI/NTC |
| PSU technician posts | “Completed apprentices eligible for PSU apprentice/technician positions — NTPC, IOCL, ONGC” |
| Railway | “Ordnance factory experience valued in railway technician recruitment” |
| Private sector | Defence manufacturing experience |
| Self-employment | Skilled trade qualification |
Plus lifelong NCVT certification.
Training inside an ordnance factory “builds familiarity with industrial processes, safety protocols, machining standards, and documentation culture” — the factories handle ammunition, arms components, textiles for defence, optical systems and heavy equipment.
9. The Other Defence PSU Routes
AVNL — Heavy Vehicles Factory, Avadi
Junior Technician posts on a Fixed Tenure Contract (FTC) basis — 220+ vacancies across various trades.
| Aspect | Detail |
|---|---|
| Eligibility | ITI, NAC, NTC, and experienced Class 10th candidates |
| Mode | Offline only |
| Selection | Shortlisting on qualification/experience → Document Verification → Trade Test (Practical) |
| Website | ddpdoo.gov.in |
Note that NAC is again accepted alongside ITI and NTC.
Yantra India’s Other Cadres
| Post | Detail |
|---|---|
| Management Trainee / Junior Manager (Technical/Non-Technical) | Group B Gazetted-equivalent — production planning, quality control, shop-floor management |
| Trade Apprentice (ITI & Non-ITI) | “The primary gateway for 10th-pass and ITI holders” |
| Danger Building Workers (DBW) | Tenure-based, contract basis, for high-precision explosives handling in ammunition factories |
Pay: YIL follows 7th CPC scales for most Group B and C employees; senior management follows IDA.
Special perks: risk allowances, subsidised canteen, comprehensive medical insurance for the family, and departmental housing — Ordnance Factory Estates.
YIL’s general selection process for regular posts is three-stage: Written Examination (CBT) covering General Intelligence, Quantitative Aptitude and domain-specific technical knowledge; Trade Test — mandatory for technical Group C roles — or interview for Group B; then Document Verification and a rigorous medical fitness test, mandatory for all defence PSU jobs.
“For ITI and Diploma holders, the majority of questions are derived directly from the standard NCVT syllabus.”
YIL has released 13 recruitment notifications in the last 3 years.
10. Documents Checklist
- ☐ Class 10 certificate and marksheet — 50% overall, 40% in Maths and Science for Non-ITI
- ☐ ITI certificate — NCVT/SCVT, 50% marks — for Ex-ITI
- ☐ Valid Aadhaar Card (12-digit) or Aadhaar Enrollment ID
- ☐ Photograph — no cap, no goggles, clear and identifiable
- ☐ Clear signature
- ☐ Caste / category certificate
- ☐ PwD certificate, where applicable
Every field in the application must match the 10th and ITI certificates exactly — name, father’s name, date of birth, marks, year of passing.
11. Assessment
In favour:
- 3,979 seats in a single batch — one of the largest apprenticeship drives in the country
- No written exam, no interview — selection on marks alone
- 2,843 of 3,979 seats for Ex-ITI candidates
- Stipend ₹9,600 for Ex-ITI, ₹8,200 for Non-ITI
- Quarters or hostel accommodation where available
- Free medical treatment at Ordnance Factory hospitals
- Fee ₹100–₹200, with women at the concessional rate
- NCVT certification that BHEL requires, RRB accepts, ISRO accepts, and NTPC, IOCL and ONGC recognise
- 33 factories across 9 states — geographic choice
Against:
- Apprenticeship training, not permanent employment
- “No other allowances will be paid during the entire period” — the stipend is the whole of it
- One factory, one application — the choice is irreversible and decides your competition
- Merit is factory-wise — a small factory with heavy applications produces a sharp cut-off
- No way to compensate weak marks — there is no exam to prepare for
- A prior apprenticeship in Ordnance Factories disqualifies you
- Rejection grounds are numerous and unforgiving — a photograph with a cap is a rejection
Recommendations:
Choose the factory on arithmetic, not on preference. Merit is factory-wise. Khamaria has 498 seats; Nalanda has 20. You get one application, and location flexibility increases your probability. If you can relocate, apply where the seats are.
Check the mismatch clause against your certificates before submitting. Name, father’s name, date of birth, marks, year of passing — all must match exactly. This is the most common avoidable rejection.
And understand what you are buying. ₹8,200 to ₹9,600 for the training period, no other allowances, no guarantee of a job — in exchange for NCVT certification and factory experience that BHEL requires for its permanent artisan post, RRB accepts in place of an ITI, and ISRO, NTPC, IOCL and ONGC all recognise.
In this tier, that certificate is the currency. The apprenticeship is how you earn it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. Does the Ordnance Factory Board still recruit? No. The Ordnance Factory Board was dissolved and corporatised in 2021, and its factories were restructured into seven Defence PSUs — Munitions India, Armoured Vehicles Nigam, Advanced Weapons and Equipment India, Troop Comforts, Yantra India, India Optel and Gliders India — under the Department of Defence Production. The factories still operate and still recruit; each DPSU now advertises independently.
Q2. What is the eligibility for Yantra India Trade Apprentice? Non-ITI: Class 10 with at least 50% marks, and at least 40% in both Mathematics and Science. Ex-ITI: Class 10 with at least 50% plus an ITI certificate from NCVT/SCVT with at least 50% marks. A valid Aadhaar is required to apply.
Q3. Is there a written exam? No. Selection is on merit and the choice of factory. Non-ITI merit is factory-wise on matriculation marks. Ex-ITI merit is factory-wise and trade-wise, on the simple average of Matriculation and ITI percentages. Document verification, medical examination and police verification follow.
Q4. What is the stipend? ₹8,200 per month for Non-ITI candidates and ₹9,600 for Ex-ITI candidates, as per the Apprentice Act 1961 and Apprenticeship Rules 1992. “No other allowances will be paid during the entire period of apprenticeship training.”
Q5. Can I apply to more than one factory? No. “You can apply for only one factory. Only one application per candidate is allowed.” Double or multiple applications result in cancellation of candidature.
Q6. Does the apprenticeship lead to a permanent job? No — it is apprenticeship training, not permanent employment. However, the NCVT certification it produces is mandatory for BHEL Artisan Grade IV, accepted in lieu of an ITI by RRB for Technician Grade III, accepted by ISRO for Technician-B, and recognised by NTPC, IOCL and ONGC.
Q7. Why might my application be rejected? Grounds include: a prior apprenticeship in Ordnance Factories; over or under age, or date of birth wrongly filled; multiple applications; a photograph with a cap, goggles, or one that is unclear or unidentifiable; an unclear signature; a name on the debarred list; and any mismatch of name, father’s name, date of birth, marks or year of passing between the application and your 10th or ITI certificate.
Q8. Which factory has the most seats? Ordnance Factory Khamaria, Jabalpur — 498 seats, followed by Ordnance Factory Chanda, Chandrapur — 415 and Ordnance Factory Ambajhari, Nagpur — 333. Ordnance Factory Nalanda has 20. Since merit is factory-wise and you may apply to only one factory, this distribution directly determines your competition.
Disclaimer: This article is for general information only. The Ordnance Factory Board was dissolved in 2021 and its factories restructured into seven Defence PSUs, each of which now recruits independently. Applications for Yantra India Limited’s 59th Batch Trade Apprentice (Advertisement No. 1457) closed on 3 March 2026. Vacancy numbers, eligibility, stipends, factory-wise distribution, rejection grounds and dates are set by each official notification and vary by DPSU and batch; secondary sources vary on the number of factories covered. Apprenticeship under the Apprentices Act is training and does not guarantee employment. Candidates must read the official notification of the concerned Defence PSU before applying and treat it as the final authority.