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Adani Defence & Aerospace has signed a five-year agreement with Indo-Russian Rifles Private Limited (IRRPL) to supply indigenous 7.62x39 mm small-calibre ammunition for the AK-203 assault rifle programme.
Under the agreement, Adani Defence will supply the ammunition for the AK-203 programme for five years, providing an Indian source of supply and supporting continuity of ammunition availability during the contract period, an Adani release said. The pact brings together the production of AK-203 rifles by IRRPL and ammunition manufacturing by Adani Defence in India. According to the release, the arrangement will create an integrated domestic supply chain for the rifle programme and strengthen capabilities across the small-arms manufacturing ecosystem. IRRPL was incorporated in 2019 under an India-Russia intergovernmental agreement to manufacture AK-203 assault rifles in India. Its manufacturing facility is located at Korwa in the Amethi district of Uttar Pradesh. The Ministry of Defence has identified IRRPL as the joint venture established for indigenous production of the AK-203. The ministry had signed a contract with IRRPL in December 2021 for 6,01,427 AK-203 rifles, with production planned at the Korwa facility. IRRPL has Indian shareholders Advanced Weapons and Equipment India Limited and Munitions India Limited, along with Russian shareholders Concern Kalashnikov and Rosoboronexport, according to sources. Adani Defence has established manufacturing capabilities for small-calibre ammunition in India, including a facility in Kanpur with capacity to produce such ammunition. The latest agreement further strengthens domestic capabilities across the small-arms supply chain and supports the governments Aatmanirbhar Bharat objective in defence manufacturing. The agreement is expected to deepen localisation around the AK-203 programme by linking domestic rifle manufacturing with locally produced ammunition. It also provides an Indian ammunition supply source for a rifle programme being manufactured domestically under the India-Russia joint venture. The pact comes as India continues to focus on building domestic defence manufacturing capabilities and reducing dependence on overseas supply chains. By bringing rifle and ammunition production together within India, the arrangement adds another layer of localisation to the AK-203 programme, the release added. (ANI)
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