After over a year of negotiation, India and Russia have agreed to the terms for the manufacture of the AK-203 assault rifle in a VIP Lok Sabha constituency in Uttar Pradesh.
The announcement had been made over a year ago, but the negotiations were prolonged. The manufacture of the AK-203 in India is another triumph for indigenous production.
Over 6 lakh Kalashnikov assault rifles will be made here, now that the differences between Russia and India have been sorted out. Now, the weapons will be manufactured by a firm called Indo-Russian Private Ltd.
There will be a TOT, or transfer of technology, and importantly, no royalty for weapons made. Under the just worked out agreement, the cost of the rifle will come down, and for now, the quantity. The total cost is going to be about Rs 5,125 crore.
The AK-203, a successor of the famous AK-47, designed by Mikhail Kalashnikov while he lay in a hospital bed, recovering from his injuries during the Second World War, is an easy to use, reliable, and importantly, an inexpensive weapon for soldiers.
After the 1.2 million strong Army gets it– the AK-203 will be a basic weapon for the troops–it could go to the central police forces as well.
Source: ToI
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