Sig 716i ($990) beat out CAR 817 ($1200) and Galil ACE 7 ($1600) for the L1 order in 2018.
There were also competitive trials done as per photo below :
View attachment 12579
All this for a 72,400 rifle order in 2019 for $83 million and a 73,000 rifle order for $95 million in 2024 for a total of $178 million.
By comparison US Army wants 107,000 XM7 and 13,000 XM250 initially for $1.35 billion (taking 400,000 weapons max at $4.5 billion).
The Indian contract will give Sig Sauer the money needed to expand facilities and create volume for the US Army contract.
Any other country would have gone over the moon to market the whole military service with the world's largest importer factor as this is a dream contract.
Even J&K SOG wanted 500 Sig 716i rifles and I am not even including the Sig MPX and SG552/553 orders for NSG and various state level police.
.https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/jk-police-to-get-american-assault-rifles-pistols-for-anti-terror-operations/article38105328.ece/amp/
This is not about 'pride', this is pissing in your face and calling it rain level of arrogance by Sig Sauer.
I think the carbine tender should be given to Jindal-Taurus, SSS, MKU, Adani-PLR, Kalyan Systems, etc just to spite the Americans.