Moscow / New Delhi: Indo-Russian Rifles Private Limited (IRRPL), registered and located in India, has produced and transferred 35,000 Kalashnikov AK-203 assault rifles to the Indian Ministry of Defence. The founders of the enterprise from the Russian side are ROSOBORONEXPORT JSC and the Kalashnikov Group (both are subsidiaries of the Rostec State Corporation).
The Kalashnikov AK-203 assault rifle is a version of the AK-200 rifle chambered for the 7.62×39mm cartridge used in the Indian Army. The weapon has the traditional advantages of Kalashnikov assault rifles: reliability and ease of maintenance.
“Rostec produces a wide range of weapons that have proved to be effective in real combat conditions, including the latest small arms. Today India is the first foreign customer to produce the “two hundredth” series of Kalashnikov assault rifles. Production has been deployed in India in full compliance with the Make in India and Aatmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyaan (Self-Reliant India) programs. The project includes technology transfer, and its concept includes 100% localisation of AK-203 production. Such programs are one of the trends in the modern arms market and Russia’s competitive advantage as a reliable supplier of the best defence solutions,” said Sergey Chemezov, Director General of Rostec.
The AK-203s are manufactured in India in compliance with exclusive Russian technologies on certified equipment. This ensures high product quality and compliance with the stated characteristics.
“The Indo-Russian Rifles Private Limited joint venture, co-founded by ROSOBORONEXPORT on the Russian side, has completed the first phase of the project to produce AK-203 Kalashnikov assault rifles in India. To increase the degree of localisation, all necessary equipment has been shipped to the Korwa Ordnance Factory in Amethi, Uttar Pradesh state, and production facilities are now fully equipped. This made it possible to produce and deliver a batch of 35,000 Kalashnikov assault rifles to the Indian Army within the timeframe agreed with the Ministry of Defence of India,” said Alexander Mikheev, Director General of ROSOBORONEXPORT.
“The Indo-Russian joint venture is a vivid example of fruitful cooperation between our countries in the defence sector,” he added.
Today Russia and India continue to implement military-technical cooperation projects. Current and future programs are focused as much as possible on technological interaction between parties.
