The Russian-Indian joint venture Indo-Russian Rifles Private Limited, registered and located in India, has manufactured and delivered 35,000 Kalashnikov AK-203 assault rifles to the Indian Ministry of Defence. The founders of the enterprise on the Russian side are Rosoboronexport and the Kalashnikov Concern of the Rostec State Corporation.
The Kalashnikov AK-203 assault rifle is a version of the AK-200 assault rifle chambered for the 7.62×39 mm 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 proven their effectiveness in real combat conditions, including the latest small arms. Today, India is the first foreign customer to begin producing the “two hundredth” series of Kalashnikov assault rifles. Production is deployed in India in full compliance with the Make In India and Self-Sufficient India programs. The project includes technology transfer, and its concept includes 100% localization of AK-203 production. Such programs are one of the trends in the modern arms market and a competitive advantage for Russia as a reliable supplier of the best defence solutions,” said Sergey Chemezov, Director General of Rostec State Corporation.
AK-203s are manufactured in India using exclusive Russian technologies on certified equipment. This ensures high product quality and compliance with the declared characteristics.
“The Indo-Russian Rifles Private Limited joint venture, one of the founders of which from the Russian side is Rosoboronexport, has completed the first phase of the project to manufacture AK-203 Kalashnikov assault rifles in India. To increase the degree of localization, all the necessary equipment has been shipped to the Korwa Ordnance Factory in Amethi, Uttar Pradesh, and the production facilities have been 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 Indian Ministry of Defence, said Rosoboronexport CEO Alexander Mikheev. “The Russian-Indian joint venture is a striking example of fruitful cooperation between our countries in the defence sector.”
Today, Russia and India continue to implement projects in the area of military-technical cooperation. Current and future programs are based on the parties’ maximum focus on technological interaction.
