A plant to manufacture Kalashnikov AK-203 rifles, Indo-Russian Rifles Private Limited, will soon open in Korwa area of Amethi, India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said.
According to Dmitry Shugayev, Director of Russia’s Federal Service for Military Technical Cooperation, the new plant is to roll out more than 700,000 automatic rifles. The project also involves gradual relocation of components production to India.
“Today, an AK-203 manufacturing unit opens at the Korwa ordnance factory in India, in accordance with an earlier reached agreement at the highest level and an intergovernmental agreement,” Shugayev said, adding that, thanks to coordinated actions of Russian and Indian professionals, the production of the latest rifles of the world’s most famous small arms brand was organized in a very short time.
According to Rosoboronexport CEO Alexander Mikheyev, the new facility in Korwa is one of the most modern small arms assembly lines: “The agreement involves the production of 750,000 automatic rifles, mostly from Indian components. The plant’s capacity will be enough to fully equip India’s military and security forces. If necessary, the parties can agree on an increase in production and an upgrade to new promising models on the unique Kalashnikov rifle platform.”
The Russian founders of the joint venture are Rosoboronexport (7.5%) and the Kalashnikov Concern (42%), both of them members of the Rostec Group. On the Indian side, the founder is the Ordnance Factory Board with 50.5%.