Key Agreements Concerning AK-203 Production in India Being Discussed

Key agreements between India and Russia are being discussed ahead of the contract to implement the production of AK-203 assault rifles in India which could be signed before the end of 2021.

At the moment, the coordination of the project has reached the final stage, if key agreements are reached, it can be signed before the end of 2021, Russian state media reported citing Kalashnikov.

The agreement could be signed during Russian president Vladimir Putin’s visit to Delhi in early December.

The Indian defense ministry is likely to finalize the INR 5,000 Core deal with Russia for the manufacture of 750,000 AK-203s in India. The first 70,000 will reportedly include Russian-made components as technology transfers, and the army will receive these 32 months after the manufacturing process begins.

While talking to Defenseworld.net regarding the status of the AK-203 deal with India in October, Maria VOROBIEVA, Director for Public Relations of Kalashnikov, revealed, “The project is truly unique from the point of view of Make-in-India. The Russian stakeholders of Indo-Russian Rifles Private Limited (IRRPL) will ensure 100% AK-203 technology transfer to India. Localization will start from the very early stages and over time the AK-203 rifle will be manufactured in India including spares with materials sourced from local manufacturers.”

The IRRPL is a joint Russia-India rifle manufacturing facility set up in Uttar Pradesh’s Korwa town in March 2019.