New Delhi, Sep 7 (IANS) India’s locally manufactured AK-203 Sher assault rifle, which is an advanced version of Russia’s highly successful Kalashnikov rifle, represents an important milestone for the ‘Make in India’ initiative aimed at self-reliance in the defence sector, according to a new report.
India has successfully test-fired its first 100 per cent locally component-sourced AK-203 assault rifle at the Korwa manufacturing facility in Amethi, Uttar Pradesh.
Indo-Russian Rifles, a company established in 2019 under an agreement with Russia to make the AK-203, is preparing to submit the rifle to the Indian Army for trials this month, according to an article in the South China Morning Post.
Deliveries of these fully indigenous rifles are scheduled to begin by April 2027, pushing forward the goal to supply over 600,000 rifles to the military.
The Indo-Russian Rifles Private Limited (IRRPL) joint venture aims to build one rifle every 100 seconds at peak capacity.
Russia brought the design, and India has progressively developed the manufacturing ecosystem around it. With 100 per cent Indian components and input materials, the project demonstrates technology absorption and indigenous manufacturing capabilities.
India has been slowly trying to reduce its reliance on Russian-made weapons as Moscow prioritises its own needs for its ongoing war with Ukraine, the article states.
India has one of the most diverse terrains in the world, spanning towering snow-capped mountains, vast fertile plains, dry deserts, high plateaus and long tropical coastlines. Therefore, a feedback from various army units across diverse terrains will help to ensure the robustness of military equipment. Early feedback, including from troops in the Siachen Glacier, considered the world’s toughest and highest battlefield, had been positive, the article states.
Over 6 lakh rifles are expected to be delivered by December 2030.
The article highlights that the AK-203 is at least 25 per cent cheaper than imported versions, can be used to arm the police and be available for exports from 2030.
Indian small arms exports have climbed nearly 10-fold from 7.79 billion rupees (US$82.5 million) in the 2018 financial year to 72.16 billion rupees in the 2025 financial year, the article added.
Last week, Adani Defence & Aerospace signed a five-year agreement with Indo-Russian Rifles Private Limited (IRRPL) to supply indigenous 7.62×39 mm small-calibre ammunition for the programme. Under the agreement, Adani Defence will supply 7.62×39 mm ammunition for the AK-203 for five years.
The arrangement provides an Indian source for the ammunition required for the programme and supports continuity of supply during the contract period.
–IANS
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