Russian-Indian joint venture for AK-203 assault rifle production starts working.

MOSCOW, September 20. /TASS-DEFENSE/. The Russian-Indian joint venture for the production of AK-203 assault rifles has started work, President of the Kalashnikov Group (part of the Rostec state hi-tech corporation) Alan Lushnikov told TASS.
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Kalashnikov AK-203 in Russian basic configuration that includes a fixed buttstock and Picatinny rail, unlike the Indian standard model (Picture source: Kalashnikov)

“The joint venture [Indo-Russian Rifles Private Limited] has already started work. The Russian side is represented by us together with the Rosoboronexport [state arms seller]. The joint venture is working, everything is on schedule,” Lushnikov said.

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared the creation of a joint Indian-Russian venture for the production of Kalashnikov rifles in March 2019. The joint venture Indo-Russian Rifles Private Limited (IRRPL) for making the AK-203 rifle was set up near the city of Korwa in Uttar Pradesh.

As CEO of Russia’s Rosoboronexport state arms seller Alexander Mikheyev said in December last year, Russia is ready to arrange full-scale production of 7.62mm AK-203 assault rifles in India within two-three years. According to him, the first batch of AK-203 assault rifles will be produced in India with a phased increase in the extent of localization and then full-scale production will begin.

Under the contract, more than 600,000 Kalashnikov assault rifles will be delivered to Indian uniformed agencies. Thus, India may become the first foreign country to produce the AK-203 assault rifle.

A version of the AK-203 assault rifle designed for the Indian Armed Forces was unveiled at the DefExpo India 2020 exhibition. Unlike its predecessor, the AK-203 has been fitted with a Magpul-type telescopic buttstock and a more comfortable pistol grip. The reinforced upper receiver and handguard carry Picatinny rails, which are intended for the installation of various sighting systems. The handguard also features MIL-STD-1913 rails for tactical grips, bipods, weapon flashlights or laser pointers. The weapon can be fitted with the 40mm GP-34 under-barrel grenade launcher.

Military products account for 79% of Kalashnikov Group’s revenues

Military and civilian products manufactured by the Kalashnikov Group account for 79 percent and 21 percent of its revenues respectively, Group President Alan Lushnikov told TASS. “As for the group as a whole, military products account for 79 percent of its revenues, civilian products make up 21 percent. This is quite a stable ratio. As for military products, we include there not only weapons made under state defense contracts but also arms exports,” Lushnikov said.

As Lushnikov specified, the group’s output has grown due to the special military operation in Ukraine. “The output has increased but I cannot tell more about it,” the group’s head said.

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