Indian-made AK-203 rifles to start rolling out by December
Big update for Indian defense: By December 2025, the Indo-Russian Rifles Private Limited (IRRPL) will make the AK-203 assault rifle—nicknamed "Sher"—entirely in India.
This is part of a ₹5,200 crore Make in India push to swap out old INSAS rifles along sensitive borders, with half the parts already locally sourced.
Daily output of 600 rifles being targeted
The Korwa factory in Uttar Pradesh has rolled out 48,000 rifles so far and plans another 22,000 by year-end—including a quick batch of 7,000 coming soon.
By next year, they're aiming for a daily output of 600 rifles.
Each one gets strict quality checks using components from Indian suppliers.
IRRPL aims to be among top 5 small arms makers
IRRPL isn't stopping at just making rifles for India—they want to branch into exports to friendly countries and expand beyond the AK-203.
With India holding a slight majority stake, their goal is to break into the world's top five small arms makers by 2032.
It's a bold move that shows how serious India is about self-reliance and global defense partnerships.