The Kalashnikov group of companies is going to start production of the AK-203 assault rifle in India this year and has decided to expand its audience by attracting buyers with a high-tech shotgun, Reuters reports.
“We hope this year to launch production of AK-203 assault rifles at our joint venture in India. I believe that this is a long-term trend, so other examples will soon appear,” said the head of the group of companies Dmitry Tarasov. In ten years, India plans to produce more than 670 thousand AK-203 assault rifles.
Now about half of Kalashnikov’s orders come from the Russian Ministry of Defense. By 2025, the company hopes to increase revenues by 60 percent over 2020, and increase the share of civilian products to 30 percent from the current 25.
The media wrote about the launch of production under the license of Russian machines back in January 2021. The Economic Times newspaper then noted that it was planned to release 671,427 AK-203 assault rifles, while the corresponding agreement implies the complete localization of weapons production and its possible export in the future. The cost of one machine, manufactured in India, was estimated at 70 thousand Indian rupees ($ 958).
Earlier in February, the company revealed the main purpose of the MP-155 Ultima smart gun, which is considered a “weapon for hipsters.” The aim of the smart gun is to attract the “hipsters, Gen Z” who “were born with gadgets and can’t imagine themselves without them.”