India, Russia sign over Rs 5,000 crore deal on AK-203 assault rifle

The two countries extended their military-technical cooperation agreement for another 10 years.

Both the developments took place during a meeting between Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh and his Russian counterpart Sergei Shoigu in New Delhi. Shoigu and his colleague Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov are in New Delhi for the first ever 2+2 meeting with their Indian counterparts Defense Minister Singh and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.

Later on Monday evening, Russian President Vladimir Putin will hold talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the 21st annual India-Russia summit. Putin is to visit New Delhi for the summit in a rare trip outside Russia due to the COVID-19 pandemic. After the talks, the two sides are to sign about 10 bilateral agreements.

The AK 203 rifles will replace the in-service INSAS rifles introduced several decades ago. The 7.62 X 39mm caliber AK-203 assault rifles have an effective range of 300 meters. The project is likely to be executed by a new joint venture firm named Indo-Russian Rifles Private Limited (IRRPL). The manufacturing unit is to come in Korwa, Amethi, Uttar Pradesh. The state hosts the Northern Defense Industrial Corridor. The development also reflects India’s pivot from being completely dependent on global defense acquisitions to “Make in India” in the defense manufacturing sector. India is one of the top buyers of defense hardware in the world.

Later in the inaugural ‘2+2’ defense and foreign ministerial talks with Russia, Singh spoke of “unprovoked aggression” on its northern border among the major challenges facing the country. The reference was to tensions between India and China that arose from Chinese incursions into Indian territory in May 2020.

“The pandemic, the extraordinary militarization and weapons expansion in our neighborhood and the unprovoked aggression on our northern border since the summer of 2020 have posed many challenges,” the defense minister said, although he did not name China.

Russia is seen as having close ties with China due to strained relations with the West over the annexation of Crimea in 2014 and alleged interference in the 2016 US elections, among other issues.

Stating that India’s development needs are huge and its defense challenges are “legitimate, real and urgent”, Singh said India seeks partners who are sensitive and responsive to the country’s expectations and needs.

Referring to the summit between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin as well as talks in the new ‘2+2’ format, Singh said, “It is a historic day in our bilateral relations.”

In his remarks, Jaishankar said relations between India and Russia have been “close and time-tested” in a world that has changed significantly. “They (the relationship) have been exceptionally stable,” he said.

“We are meeting at a critical juncture in the global geopolitical environment, which is in great flux especially after the COVID-19 pandemic,” the minister said.

Jaishankar described terrorism, violent extremism and extremism as the major challenges facing the region – an oblique reference to the situation in Afghanistan and Pakistan’s challenges to India.

“As close friends and strategic partners, India and Russia are working together to safeguard our common interests and ensure peace and prosperity for our peoples,” he said.