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New Delhi: Adani Defence & Aerospace has signed a five-year agreement with Indo-Russian Rifles Private Limited (IRRPL) to supply indigenously manufactured 7.62×39 mm small-calibre ammunition for India's AK-203 assault rifle programme.
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The agreement connects two critical parts of the programme—AK-203 rifle production by IRRPL and ammunition manufacturing by Adani Defence—creating a more integrated India-based supply chain for the weapon system.
IRRPL was established in 2019 under an India-Russia intergovernmental agreement to manufacture AK-203 rifles at its Korwa facility in Amethi, Uttar Pradesh.
The Ministry of Defence signed a contract with IRRPL in December 2021 for 6,01,427 AK-203 rifles, making a reliable domestic ammunition ecosystem an important component of the programme.
Adani Defence has established small-calibre ammunition manufacturing capabilities in India, including a facility in Kanpur. The new agreement provides IRRPL with an Indian source for the ammunition required over the five-year contract period.
The development represents another step in the localisation of an India-Russia defence programme.
Instead of depending on separate overseas supply chains for rifles and ammunition, India is increasingly building the manufacturing, ammunition and support ecosystem domestically.
It also highlights the growing role of private Indian defence companies alongside DPSUs and international partners in creating complete weapons ecosystems.
For Adani Defence, the agreement further expands its presence in small-calibre ammunition manufacturing, while for the AK-203 programme it provides greater continuity of domestic ammunition supply.
The bigger shift is clear: the AK-203 may have Russian roots, but its expanding Indian ecosystem—from rifles to ammunition—is increasingly being built in India.
(Defence Watch– India’s Defence News centre that places the spotlight on Defence Manufacturing, Defence Technology, Strategy and Military affairs is on Twitter. Follow us here and stay updated.)
