Adani Defence to supply ammunition for AK-203 rifles under five-year pact

Adani Defence & Aerospace has signed a five-year agreement with Indo-Russian Rifles to supply indigenously produced 7.62x39 mm ammunition for AK-203 rifles. The pact links domestic rifle and ammunition production, strengthening localisation and self-reliance in India’s defence manufacturing ecosystem

New Delhi: Adani Defence & Aerospace has signed a five-year agreement with Indo-Russian Rifles Pvt Ltd to supply indigenously produced 7.62×39 mm ammunition for AK-203 assault rifles being manufactured in India, creating an integrated domestic supply chain for the India-Russia rifle programme.

Under the agreement, Adani Defence will supply the small-calibre ammunition required for the AK-203 programme for five years, providing an Indian source of supply and supporting continuity of ammunition availability over the contract period, according to the company.

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The pact brings together rifle production by Indo-Russian Rifles, or IRRPL, and ammunition manufacturing by Adani Defence, linking two parts of the AK-203 programme within India’s defence manufacturing ecosystem.

IRRPL was established in 2019 under an India-Russia intergovernmental agreement to manufacture AK-203 rifles for the Indian Armed Forces. Its manufacturing facility is located at Korwa in Uttar Pradesh’s Amethi district.

The joint venture has Indian shareholders Advanced Weapons and Equipment India Ltd and Munitions India Ltd, along with Russian shareholders Concern Kalashnikov and Rosoboronexport.

The Ministry of Defence has identified IRRPL as the joint venture responsible for indigenous production of the AK-203. The government signed a contract with the company in December 2021 for 6,01,427 AK-203 rifles, which are to be manufactured at the Korwa facility.

The latest agreement expands the domestic manufacturing footprint around the programme by pairing locally produced rifles with locally manufactured ammunition, according to the firm.

Adani Defence has established small-calibre ammunition manufacturing capabilities in India, including a production facility in Kanpur. The agreement would further strengthen domestic capabilities across the small-arms supply chain and support the government’s Aatmanirbhar Bharat push for greater self-reliance in defence manufacturing.

The agreement also deepens the localisation of an India-Russia defence programme that was originally established to manufacture AK-203 rifles domestically, reducing reliance on external sources for a key consumable required for the weapon system.