India completes indigenous 'Sher' rifle rollout after years of Indo-Russian partnership
India’s defence ministry has delivered the first fully indigenous ‘Sher’ assault rifle, a locally produced version of the AK-203.
The British-established Ichapur factory once made 7.62 mm rifles, later replaced by the INSAS 5.56 mm model, which the Army found unreliable. Seeking a dual-calibre solution, the Ministry of Defence pursued a partnership with Russia’s Concern Kalashnikov, demanding 100 % technology transfer and local production. A 50.5:49.5 joint venture, Indo-Russian Rifles Private Ltd, was formed, and after protracted talks over price, royalties, and differing accuracy criteria, the agreement was signed in January 2019 and a 750,000-rifle contract finalized in December 2021. Production shifted to the idle Korwa plant in Uttar Pradesh, and the first batch of the indigenously built ‘Sher’ assault rifle—an AK-203 variant—has now been delivered to the Army, fulfilling a long-standing goal of self-reliant small-arms capability.
Why it matters
It marks a major step toward India's defence self-reliance by locally producing a modern assault rifle.
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