India Test-Fires First 100% Indigenous AK-203 ‘Sher’ Rifle In Amethi

India has manufactured and successfully test-fired its first 100% indigenous AK-203 assault rifle, named ‘Sher’, at the Korwa ordnance facility in Amethi, Uttar Pradesh.

The rifle was produced by Indo-Russian Rifles Private Limited (IRRPL), the India-Russia joint venture established in 2019 to manufacture AK-203 rifles locally under the Make in India initiative.

Maj Gen S K Sharma, CEO and MD of IRRPL, announced the development in a recent post, saying the rifle was made entirely with Indian components and input materials.

“A moment of immense pride for all of us at IRRPL. We have successfully produced and fired the first AK-203 (Sher) rifle made with 100% Indian components and input materials,” Sharma said.

He stressed that the achievement involved more than replacing a few imported parts.

“What makes this achievement truly special is that every single component and every input material going into this rifle has been sourced from Indian industry. This is not merely localisation of selected components; it is true, end-to-end ‘100% Genuine Indigenisation’ of the rifle. This is Atmanirbhar Bharat in action,” he said.

Rifle Undergoes Firing, Army Trials Planned

According to Sharma, the first fully indigenised rifle has completed firing, including burst firing, with the initial results described as encouraging. IRRPL is now preparing the required number of fully indigenised prototypes for the next stage.

“We are now working towards making the requisite number of 100% indigenised prototypes for handing over to the Army for trials during Sept 2026,” he said.

This means the rifle has been manufactured and test-fired, while the Army trials are still to take place.

IRRPL Targets One Rifle Every 100 Seconds

IRRPL also plans to increase its manufacturing rate. Sharma said the company would soon move towards producing one AK-203 ‘Sher’ every 100 seconds.

“Very soon, IRRPL will be moving towards a production rate of one AK-203 (Sher) every 100 seconds.”

Sharma also said that efforts to increase production capacity, raise indigenous content and optimise manufacturing processes had helped IRRPL bring forward the delivery timeline for approximately six lakh rifles being supplied to the Indian Army by almost a year.

AK-203 Being Inducted By Indian Army

The AK-203 is a 7.62x39mm, gas-operated assault rifle based on the Kalashnikov platform. It has a stated firing rate of 700 rounds per minute and an effective range of up to 800 metres.

The Indian military is inducting more than six lakh locally manufactured AK-203 rifles to replace the ageing INSAS rifles, according to the supplied information and current reports.