The Kalashnikov Concern is actively strengthening its position in the Indian market, expanding its network of partners and launching multidisciplinary joint projects. One of the key tasks set by the Indian government is to achieve full localization of the production of the AK-203 assault rifle on the territory of the republic. This was stated by Maxim Karavaev, Sales Director of the Russian-Indian joint venture IRRPL.
The Government of India has set us a difficult and important task: to ensure one hundred percent localization depth of the AK-203 assault rifle at our joint venture. By 2030, the Indian Armed Forces will have at least 600,000 of these assault rifles.
According to Karavaev, cooperation with Indian companies has long gone beyond traditional small arms - today it covers the development of unmanned systems, shipbuilding and solutions in the field of tactical medicine.
The production of the AK-203 assault rifle has been established at the Indo-Russian Rifles Private Limited (IRRPL) joint venture, launched in the state of Uttar Pradesh in 2021.
АК-203 — a Russian gas-operated assault rifle chambered for the 7.62×39 mm cartridge. This is one of the latest versions of the AK series of assault rifles, developed by the Russian Kalashnikov Concern in the 2010s.
Technical characteristics of AK-203:
- weight — 3.8 kg;
- length when folded — 690 mm, when extended — 930 mm;
- barrel length — 415 mm;
- rate of fire — about 700 rounds per minute;
- muzzle velocity — 715 m/s;
- effective firing range — 400–800 m (depending on the sight setting);
- feeding system — detachable box magazine for 30 rounds or detachable four-stack magazine for 50 rounds.