Inside India's plan to locally make 600,000 AK-203 rifles in Amethi by 2030

India plans to locally produce over 600,000 AK-203 rifles at the Amethi-based IRRPL unit by 2030, with full indigenisation expected by 2025 and deliveries set to finish two years ahead of schedule

The AK-203 assault rifles being manufactured in Amethi’s Korwa by Indo-Russian Rifles Private Limited (IRRPL) are set to be completely indigenous by the end of 2025. As of now, 50 per cent of the components and processes are already locally sourced, and full indigenisation is on track, according to IRRPL CEO and MD Major General SK Sharma.

 

"If you ask a soldier, then his most reliable friend is an assault rifle... AK-203 will be the most reliable thing in the future," Sharma told news agency ANI. He added that the Indian armed forces will receive 70,000 rifles by the end of this year, of which 48,000 have already been delivered.

 

Delivery timeline to beat deadline by nearly two years

 

Under a ₹5,200 crore contract, IRRPL is to supply 601,427 AK-203 rifles to the Indian armed forces by October 2032. However, the company now aims to complete deliveries by December 2030 — almost two years ahead of schedule.

 

Currently, production is scaling up. An additional 7,000 rifles will be delivered in the next few weeks, with 15,000 more expected by December 2025. From 2026 onwards, monthly production will reach 12,000 rifles, helping meet the early completion target.

 

‘Sher’ replaces INSAS in border forces

 

The AK-203, named "Sher" in India, is a modernised version of the classic Kalashnikov. Lighter than the INSAS (3.8 kg vs 4.15 kg), it is set to become the standard-issue weapon for troops posted along the Line of Control and Line of Actual Control. The rifle is built for reliability in counterinsurgency and counterterrorism operations.

 

Indo-Russian venture backed by army expertise

 

Formed in 2019 under an intergovernmental agreement, IRRPL is a joint venture between Russian firms Rosoboronexport and Concern Kalashnikov, and Indian public-sector companies AWEIL and MIL. The company is led by a team of Indian Army officers and operates from an 8.5-acre site in Amethi.

 

Major Gen Sharma described the venture as the “younger brother of BrahMos”, highlighting its strategic value.

 

High precision manufacturing and future scale

 

Each AK-203 rifle goes through 120 manufacturing processes and comprises about 50 components and 180 sub-parts. The rifle has a service life of 15,000 rounds. Already, 60 critical parts have been indigenised, with components sourced from Indian vendors and assembled at the Amethi facility.

 

IRRPL aims to manufacture 150,000 rifles annually post full indigenisation, eventually reaching a production rate of 600 rifles per day — approximately one rifle every 100 seconds.

 

(With agency inputs)