Adani Defence and Aerospace has signed a five-year agreement with Indo-Russian Rifles Pvt Ltd to supply domestically manufactured 7.62x39 mm ammunition for AK-203 assault rifles being produced in India. The agreement is intended to create a more integrated domestic supply chain around the India-Russia rifle programme. Under the pact, Adani Defence will provide the ammunition required for the AK-203 programme throughout the five-year contract period. The arrangement is expected to support continuity of supply for the rifles being manufactured for the Indian Armed Forces.
The agreement connects two important components of the AK-203 programme, with Indo-Russian Rifles responsible for rifle manufacturing and Adani Defence supplying locally produced ammunition. Indo-Russian Rifles, also known as IRRPL, was established in 2019 under an India-Russia intergovernmental agreement to manufacture AK-203 rifles in India. Its production facility is located at Korwa in Uttar Pradesh’s Amethi district. The partnership is aimed at increasing the domestic share of manufacturing within the defence programme.
The Ministry of Defence had identified IRRPL as the joint venture responsible for indigenous production of the AK-203 rifle. The government entered into a contract with the company in December 2021 for the manufacture of 6,01,427 AK-203 rifles at the Korwa facility. The latest ammunition agreement adds another domestic manufacturing component to the programme. It links locally produced rifles with an Indian source for the ammunition required to operate them.
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IRRPL includes Indian shareholders Advanced Weapons and Equipment India Ltd and Munitions India Ltd, along with Russian shareholders Concern Kalashnikov and Rosoboronexport. The joint venture was created as part of efforts to manufacture the AK-203 platform in India rather than relying entirely on imports. The rifle programme represents a significant element of India-Russia defence industrial cooperation and has also been associated with efforts to expand indigenous defence production.
Adani Defence has developed small-calibre ammunition manufacturing capabilities in India, including a production facility in Kanpur. Its role in supplying ammunition for the AK-203 programme is expected to broaden domestic capabilities across the small-arms supply chain. Local production of ammunition can provide a domestic source for a key consumable while strengthening manufacturing capacity in the defence sector. The agreement therefore adds an ammunition component to the wider localisation of the rifle programme.
The five-year pact also supports the government’s broader Aatmanirbhar Bharat objective of increasing self-reliance in defence manufacturing. By combining Indian rifle production with domestically manufactured ammunition, the arrangement is intended to reduce dependence on external sources for important components and supplies. The agreement further deepens the localisation of the India-Russia AK-203 programme and strengthens the domestic industrial ecosystem supporting small arms used by the armed forces.
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