India to Achieve 'Full Indigenization' of AK-203 Assault Rifle Production by 2025

India is gearing up to achieve complete self-sufficiency in the manufacturing of Kalashnikov AK-203 assault rifles by the end of 2025. This ambitious goal was revealed by Major-General Sudhir Kumar Sharma, the managing director of Indo-Russian Rifles Private Limited (IRRPL), a joint venture between India and Russia, in an interview with TASS.

The production process in India is planned in five stages, each marked by an increased percentage of locally sourced components. Sharma expressed confidence in achieving 100% indigenization by December 2025. The first rifle assembled in India, back in June 2023, contained only 5% Indian components, with the remaining 95% imported from Russia in knockdown condition.

The IRRPL contract with the Indian Ministry of Defence was signed in December 2021. Since the delivery of the first rifle to the Indian Army in December 2022, approximately 35,000 rifles have been handed over and are currently in active use by soldiers on the ground.

The establishment of the India-Russia joint venture to produce Kalashnikov rifles in India was announced by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in March 2019. The Indo-Russian Rifles Private Limited, responsible for AK-203 production, is located near Korwa in Amethi district, Uttar Pradesh. Russia’s co-founders are Rosoboronexport and Kalashnikov Concern of the Rostec State Corporation. India holds the distinction of being the first foreign country to manufacture the AK-203 variant of the Kalashnikov assault rifle.

The AK-203 assault rifle, configured for the Indian Armed Forces, was first showcased at the Defexpo India 2020 international arms show. Key improvements over its predecessor include an anatomical Magpul buttstock, a more comfortable pistol grip, and Picatinny rails on the reinforced receiver cover and upper forend for mounting various sights.

The rifle also features MIL-STD-1913 standard mounts on the lower forend and sides for attaching accessories like bipods, tactical lights, and laser range finders. Additionally, it can be equipped with a 40mm GP-34 underbarrel grenade launcher.

 

[Gajanan Rao]

Amazing, countries like Singapore, UAE. China. Korea etc have managed to design and manufacture their own assault rifle. In the meantime indian and scientists need outside help to develop and manufacture such a basic combat kit!

Our PSU have recruited people on the basis of ethnicity not merit. As they being minorities we cannot force them to work

 

[Taus Melek]

Amazing, countries like Singapore, UAE. China. Korea etc have managed to design and manufacture their own assault rifle. In the meantime indian and scientists need outside help to develop and manufacture such a basic combat kit!

 

[Kira]

Amazing, countries like Singapore, UAE. China. Korea etc have managed to design and manufacture their own assault rifle. In the meantime indian and scientists need outside help to develop and manufacture such a basic combat kit!

Blame OFBs for that sorry state of affairs,both UAE and Singapore are capitalist countries with great ease of business policies and regulations,while PRC even is nominally communist,it's modern economy is driven by the private sector and there is intense competition amongst even public sector firms which is not present in India with its failed socialist set up.

 

[Frank]

Blame OFBs for that sorry state of affairs,both UAE and Singapore are capitalist countries with great ease of business policies and regulations,while PRC even is nominally communist,it's modern economy is driven by the private sector and there is intense competition amongst even public sector firms which is not present in India with its failed socialist set up.

I agree DPSU incompetent.

But problem with India is our private companies like tata adani ambani mahindra.... Are also incompetent..

Don't want to invest anythingin RD only want to assemble and profit

 

[Mithu Roy]

This is fantastic no need to reinvent wheel when you get 100 percent indigenous from materials to all components

 

[मित्र]

Great. Lets produce and deliver these to both Indian and Russian forces. Take benefit of this ling war by Russia.

 

[Apocalypse gupta]

what about the cost of these rifles. I heard that these rifles are very expensive to buy because he have to pay large license fees for every rifle to russia.

 

[ASHOK CARROL]

Like the Russian AK-203 with fold able butt the Indian built AK-203 must be built with the same fold-able but and not the fixed butt which the Indian built rifles are provided to save a few hundred rupees but depriving the Indian solders of a facility which can save His life .

 

[Praveen]

IA will Use this as an excuse reject all domestic rifles and squash any indigenous development. All private and PSUs should use this opportunity to contact with filthy rich police forces of all the states and offer the indigenous designs and sell them. IA will only buy foreign things. They have colored glasses that filter our indigenous products and select only foreign garbage.

 

[Praveen]

Blame OFBs for that sorry state of affairs,both UAE and Singapore are capitalist countries with great ease of business policies and regulations,while PRC even is nominally communist,it's modern economy is driven by the private sector and there is intense competition amongst even public sector firms which is not present in India with its failed socialist set up.

Don't blame PSUs for everything. Public company means every decision must be approved by the higher officials. You should have the knowledge about how long things will take to get approved. If they were to do on their own where can they get funding to do research. I agree about corruption everywhere. If they are carefully monitored they can be prevented. No government will do this because they have to earn a one lump sum in their time. Example - if they approve for laying road for 1000 crore rupees, then they will lay only for 100 crores and eat the remaining 900 crores.

 

[Sunil Choan]

what about the cost of these rifles. I heard that these rifles are very expensive to buy because he have to pay large license fees for every rifle to russia.

That's standard practice nothing new that is why we must design, develop and manufacture ourselves

 

[Apocalypse gupta]

That's standard practice nothing new that is why we must design, develop and manufacture ourselves

I know that it is standard practise. But i heard that license cost was very very high. Ot was so high that army was reconsidering buying them

 

[Amol Tope]

This is a failure of govt run research labs and OFBs that India cannot make even basic gun ourselves. Govt doesn't trust capabilities of private companies. Sad!!

 

[Sandeep]

I know that it is standard practise. But i heard that license cost was very very high. Ot was so high that army was reconsidering buying them

No there’s no royalty fee in this deal. We need the ToT and manufacturing capability. Now we can even export these guns.

 

[Sandeep]

Finally we can arm our soldiers with a modern gun that our army and police force can use. Unfortunately they rejected every gun that was made in India but the private sector came too late for this deal.

 

[Pad UwU]

We should offer this dirty cheap to ASEAN and African nation to built up military 😹😹😹 against aggressors like China

 

[Praveen]

This is a failure of govt run research labs and OFBs that India cannot make even basic gun ourselves. Govt doesn't trust capabilities of private companies. Sad!!

The government doesn't care about the the trust at all. They only care about who will give them more money. Best example is Rafale deal.

 

[harry]

That's standard practice nothing new that is why we must design, develop and manufacture ourselves

Expecting too much from just 30% effective workforce in any Govt. controlled organisation.

 

[Kam Guite]

Don't involve OFB. If you give gold to OFB, they will turn it into dog stool. Stop for good giving useless weapons to our army produced by OFB