Indian Army To Get 7.47 Lakh Made In India Kalashnikov Assault Rifles; Plant To Come Up In UP’s Korwa

The union government has cleared a proposal for the manufacture of 7.47 lakh Kalashnikov assault rifles by a joint venture between Ordnance Factory Board and a Russian firm. The plant to make the guns will come up in Korwa in Uttar Pradesh.

Korwa falls in the Amethi constituency of Congress president Rahul Gandhi.

While the Russian share in the JV will stand at 49.5 per cent, the OFB will be a majority stakeholder with a stake of 50.5 per cent.

The Korwa plant will produce the 7.62x39 mm calibre AK-203 guns, a derivative of the famous AK-47 rifle and the deal for the same is expected to be inked tomorrow (February 15). PM Modi will inaugurate the project on February 28.

This deal comes as a shot in the arm for the NDA government’s Make In India project and the government is pushing for 100 per cent local content for manufacturing of the rifles.

One For Russia, One For The US

India has also signed a contract for acquiring 72,000 Sig Sauer 716 Assault Rifles from the USA for the Indian Army under fast-track procedures. These assault rifles which will be used by troops deployed along the nearly 3,600-km long border with China.

This will be the Indian Army’s most massive infusion of basic assault rifles in decades.

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