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India interested in producing AK-19 rifles — CEO

According to Major General Sudhir Kumar Sharma, the AK-203 rifle, produced in India jointly with Russia, has become very well-received

KORWA /India/, September 9. /TASS/. India is seeking to produce AK-19 rifles in the country after successfully implementing the AK-203 project, Indo-Russian Rifles Private Limited (IRRPL) CEO Major General Sudhir Kumar Sharma told reporters.

According to him, the AK-203 rifle, produced in India jointly with Russia, has become very well-received.

"The next set of weapons that I see as very important in our country is the AK-19 [rifle], which is [called] Kalashnikov rifle in your country. My board and my government are quite seriously interested in getting the AK-19 technology to IRRPL and to be made in India," the CEO noted.

According to the company, IRRPL may produce other types of equipment in the future, including the Kalashnikov PPK-20 submachine gun and its accessories.

AK-203 rifles are currently produced in India's Korwa under the Indo-Russian Rifles Private Limited (IRRPL) joint venture, created in 2019 by JSC Rosoboronexport, Kalashnikov Concern JSC, and two Indian companies: Advanced Weapons and Equipment India Limited (AWEIL) and Munitions India Limited (MIL). IRRPL began producing Kalashnikov rifles in January 2023. The company is now implementing a contract signed with the Indian Defense Ministry in 2021 to supply the country with 600,000 AK-203 rifles.

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