New Delhi, Aug 2026 : India’s indigenous AK-203 assault rifle, being manufactured at the ordnance facility in Korwa in Uttar Pradesh’s Amethi district, is set to be delivered to the Indian Army, marking another significant step towards strengthening domestic defence production and reducing dependence on imports.
Manufactured by Indo-Russian Rifles Private Limited (IRRPL), the Indian-made AK-203 has been named ‘Sher’ and is expected to enhance the Army’s small-arms capabilities. The rifle is being produced locally under an India-Russia manufacturing partnership involving the transfer of technology.
Speaking to IANS, Major General Sudhish Kumar Sharma, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of IRRPL, said manufacturing the rifle in Amethi was a matter of national pride and that the company was focused on ensuring timely delivery to the armed forces.
Sharma said the AK-203 ‘Sher’ was being manufactured with national security and the interests of the country as the primary considerations. He described the indigenous production programme as an important achievement in India’s efforts to develop a stronger defence manufacturing base.
The decision to manufacture AK-203 rifles in India was taken around 2019 by the Indian Army and the Ministry of Defence. Under the agreement, technology for manufacturing the Russian-origin rifle was transferred to India, paving the way for large-scale domestic production.
According to Sharma, the Defence Ministry placed its confidence in IRRPL to meet the contracted production schedule. The company has subsequently planned its manufacturing programme to accelerate production and complete deliveries ahead of the original deadline.
“Our plan is to manufacture the rifles at the required pace and hand them over to the Indian Army one year ahead of the contractual deadline of 2032,” Sharma said.
The Korwa facility is operated by IRRPL, a joint venture involving an Indian defence public sector undertaking and Russian defence companies Concern Kalashnikov and Rosoboronexport.
The joint venture was established with the objective of manufacturing more than 600,000 AK-203 assault rifles in India. The project represents one of the major examples of Indo-Russian cooperation in defence manufacturing while also supporting India’s broader objective of promoting indigenous production.
The domestic manufacture of the AK-203 is part of the government’s wider push for Atmanirbhar Bharat in defence, with greater emphasis on manufacturing weapons and military equipment within the country.
Producing the rifles locally is expected to strengthen India’s industrial capabilities, create opportunities for domestic suppliers and reduce reliance on imported small arms.
The AK-203 programme also reflects the increasing focus on technology transfer and joint ventures as a means of building advanced defence manufacturing capabilities within India.
With production underway at Korwa and deliveries expected to begin soon, the AK-203 ‘Sher’ is poised to become an important addition to the Indian Army’s small-arms inventory and another milestone in India’s journey towards greater self-reliance in defence production.
