Context

• Indo-Russian joint venture begins manufacturing AK-203 assault rifles in U.P.

India- Russia Joint venture

• The joint venture between India and Russia, Indo-Russian Rifles Private Limited (IRRPL), has started producing AK-203 Kalashnikov assault rifles at Korwa in Uttar Pradesh.
• The contract for over six lakh AK-203 rifles would be executed by the joint venture over a period of 128 months or close to 10 years.
• Out of this, 70,000 is to come up in a matter of 32 months wherein the indigenous content is required to be in the range of 5% to 70%. Subsequently, we will have completely indigenous AK-203
• The joint venture plans to ensure 100% localisation of the production of AK-203 rifles in India 

About the Rifle

• The AK-203 is a Russian gas-operated, magazine-fed, select fire assault rifle designed to chamber the 7.62×39mm cartridge.
• It is one of the latest iterations of the AK series of assault rifles originally designed by Mikhail Kalashnikov. 
• The AK-203 was developed in the 2010s by Kalashnikov Concern in Russia. 
• The firearm was originally known as AK-103M before being renamed to AK-203 in 2019.

https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/indo-russian-joint-venture-begins-manufacturing-ak-203-assault-rifles-in-up/article66386155.ece