India’s first ‘desi’ AK-203 ‘Sher’ rifle made with 100% Indian parts test-fired in Amethi
IRRPL said the rifle completed burst-firing tests and could speed deliveries of about 6 lakh rifles to the Indian Army by almost a year.
- Indo-Russian Rifles Private Limited successfully test-fired the first 100% indigenous AK-203 'Sher' rifle at its Korwa facility in Amethi, Uttar Pradesh, marking a significant milestone in domestic defence production.
- Established in 2019, IRRPL is an India-Russia joint venture created to manufacture AK-203 rifles locally under the Make in India initiative, intended to replace the Indian Army's ageing INSAS rifles.
- CEO Maj Gen S K Sharma confirmed the rifle achieves 'Genuine Indigenisation' with every component sourced from Indian industry; the weapon features modular accessory rails and an effective range of up to 800 metres.
- Efforts to optimize manufacturing have accelerated delivery of more than 6 lakh rifles by almost a year, and IRRPL is preparing prototypes for Indian Army trials in Sept 2026.
- IRRPL plans to scale production to one AK-203 'Sher' every 100 seconds, positioning the facility as a key contributor to 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' for the Indian Armed Forces.
12 Articles
12 Articles
India's AK-203 Sher rifle made with 100% indigenous ingredients, test-fired in UP
IRRPL has produced and test-fired the first AK-203 Sher made entirely from Indian components and input materials at Amethi. The milestone shifts the rifle programme into armed forces trials preparation and wider production expansion.
The AK-203 rifle is now completely ‘made in India’: Why is this significant?
The Armed Forces is a step closer to receiving a replacement to the Insas rifle. On Sunday (August 23), the country successfully test-fired its first ‘fully made in India’ AK-203 Sher at Amethi’s ordanance factory. With this, India has shown its capability in creating its own assault rifle, cracking Russia’s Kalashnikov code, without having to import any foreign parts
India’s first 100 percent indigenous AK-203 Sher rifle completes test
India has achieved a major milestone in defence manufacturing with the development of its first fully indigenous AK-203 ‘Sher’ assault rifle. The rifle has completed firing tests, including burst firing, and prototypes are being prepared for Indian Army trials in September 2026. The development marks a significant step in India’s efforts to reduce dependence on imported components and build a stronger domestic defence manufacturing ecosystem. Th…
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