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‘Sher’ agaya hain! India has manufactured and successfully test-fired its first fully indigenous AK-203 ‘Sher’ assault rifle at the Korwa ordnance facility in Amethi. The development marks a major step in the country’s effort to expand domestic defence production.

The rifle has been developed by Indo-Russian Rifles Private Limited (IRRPL), an India-Russia joint venture set up in 2019 to manufacture AK-203 rifles locally under the Make in India initiative.

Maj Gen S K Sharma, CEO and managing director of IRRPL, announced the development in a recent post, according to a report.

Sharma said the rifle was manufactured using Indian components and input materials across the entire production chain. He described the achievement as “100% Genuine Indigenisation", stressing that every component and input material used in the rifle had been sourced from Indian industry.

The first fully indigenised rifle has already undergone firing tests, including burst firing. Sharma said the initial results were encouraging.

IRRPL is now preparing the required number of fully indigenised prototypes for trials by the Indian Army in September 2026.

The development comes as the company works towards large-scale domestic production of the AK-203 for the Indian military.

The company is also preparing to increase its manufacturing speed.

Sharma said IRRPL would soon work towards producing one AK-203 ‘Sher’ every 100 seconds.

The company has also been working to expand production capacity, increase the level of indigenisation and improve manufacturing processes.

According to Sharma, these efforts have helped bring forward the delivery of approximately six lakh rifles to the Indian Army by almost a year.

IRRPL was established to manufacture more than six lakh AK-203 rifles for the Indian Armed Forces at its Korwa facility in Amethi.

The AK-203 is a gas-operated 7.62x39mm assault rifle based on the Kalashnikov platform.

It features modular accessory rails, updated ergonomics and a modern targeting configuration designed for contemporary combat requirements.

The rifle has a reported firing rate of 700 rounds per minute and an effective range of up to 800 metres.

The Indian military is inducting the AK-203 as a replacement for the ageing INSAS rifle.

The latest rifle is significant because its production now uses Indian components and input materials throughout the manufacturing chain.

IRRPL’s project was originally established as an India-Russia joint venture to produce AK-203 rifles domestically. The latest milestone takes that production further by achieving complete indigenisation of the rifle.

The development also comes under the wider Make in India initiative, with the company working to increase domestic production and manufacturing capacity.

The first 100% indigenous AK-203 has already completed its firing tests, including burst firing. The next major step will be the preparation of fully indigenised prototypes for the Army trials scheduled for September 2026.

With IRRPL targeting production of one rifle every 100 seconds and planning to manufacture more than six lakh rifles, the AK-203 programme is moving towards large-scale production for the Indian Armed Forces.

The AK-203 'Sher' rifle will improve Indian Army capabilities by replacing the older INSAS rifle. The rifle has undergone successful firing tests, including burst firing, and is made entirely from Indian components and input materials. The delivery schedule for approximately 600,000 rifles to the Indian Army has been brought forward by almost a year.

The indigenisation of the AK-203 'Sher' rifle marks a significant step in India's efforts to expand domestic defence production and achieve complete self-reliance in small arms manufacturing. This development contributes to the broader goal of technological sovereignty through indigenous design, development, and manufacturing of defence systems.

The full deployment of the AK-203 'Sher' rifles to the Indian Armed Forces is expected to be completed by December 2030.