Adani Defence signs five-year AK-203 ammunition deal

Adani Defence & Aerospace signed a five-year agreement with Indo-Russian Rifles Private Limited for the supply of indigenous 7.62×39 mm small-calibre ammunition for the AK-203 assault rifle programme. The arrangement covers domestic ammunition supply for the Indian armed forces over the five-year period and links locally produced rifles with locally manufactured ammunition in India.

AK-203 rifle programme

The AK-203 is a 7.62×39 mm assault rifle produced in India at the Indo-Russian Rifles Private Limited manufacturing plant in Korwa in the Amethi district of Uttar Pradesh. The Indian Ministry of Defence signed a contract with Indo-Russian Rifles Private Limited on 6 December 2021 for 6,01,427 AK-203 assault rifles.

Indo-Russian Rifles Private Limited

Indo-Russian Rifles Private Limited was incorporated in 2019 under an India-Russia intergovernmental pact. Its Indian shareholders are Advanced Weapons and Equipment India Limited and Munitions India Limited, while its Russian shareholders are Rosoboronexport and Concern Kalashnikov.

Ammunition manufacturing in India

Adani Defence will manufacture the required 7.62×39 mm ammunition at its small-calibre ammunition production facility in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh. The agreement provides a domestic source of supply for ammunition used in the AK-203 programme.

Important Facts for Exams

• The AK-203 is a variant of the Kalashnikov rifle family and uses 7.62×39 mm ammunition.
• Indo-Russian Rifles Private Limited is a joint venture linked to an India-Russia intergovernmental pact of 2019.
• Advanced Weapons and Equipment India Limited and Munitions India Limited are Indian shareholders in IRRPL.
• Rosoboronexport and Concern Kalashnikov are the Russian shareholders in IRRPL.

Kanpur and Korwa are both defence-industrial locations in Uttar Pradesh. The agreement is connected with the Aatmanirbhar Bharat policy framework in the defence sector.