Kalashnikov AK-203 rifles for Indian armed forces are currently under manufacturing and testing stage at an Indo-Russian joint venture at Korwa in Uttar Pradesh, the government said on Monday.
Minister of State for Defence Ajay Bhatt, in a written reply to a question in Rajya Sabha, said the Indo-Russian Rifles Private Ltd (IRRPL) has established all facilities to commence production of the indigenised assault rifles.
"Indo-Russian Rifles Private Limited (IRRPL) is a joint venture company established for indigenous production of AK-203 Rifles. IRRPL has established all facilities to commence production of indigenised assault rifles at Korwa, Uttar Pradesh," Mr Bhatt said.
"The rifles are currently under manufacturing and testing stage," he said.
Mr Bhatt said indigenisation of AK-203 rifles will lead to self sufficiency in respect of assault rifles for Indian defence forces.
The indigenous defence projects listed by Mr Bhatt included 155mm Artillery Gun system 'Dhanush'', Light Combat Aircraft Tejas, surface-to air missile system 'Akash', main battle tank 'Arjun', T-90 tank, T-72 tank, Cheetah helicopter and Advanced Light Helicopter Dornier Do-228.
Mr Bhatt said various policy initiatives to encourage indigenous design, development and manufacture of defence equipment in the country are aimed at reducing dependency on imports in the long run.
"The expenditure on defence procurement from foreign sources has reduced from 46 per cent of overall expenditure in 2018-19 to 36.7 per cent as per data till December, 2022," he said.
Replying to a question on the cost of procurement of Indian Air Force One aeroplanes, he said it cannot be disclosed.
"No information in this matter can be disclosed," Mr Bhatt said.
To a separate question, he said India regularly interacts with friendly foreign countries (FFCs) to enhance defence industrial cooperation.
"The defence industrial cooperation with FFCs aims at development of new technologies, Research & Development, co-development and co-production, promotion of defence exports, establishment of joint-ventures, integration of Indian MSMEs and startups in global supply chain," he said.
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Featured Video Of The Day
Manufacturing Of AK-203 Assualt Rifles Begins In Uttar Pradesh's Amethi Modern AK-203 Rifles With Range Over 3 Football Fields To Be Made In UP Defence Minister Rajnath Singh Reviews Establishment Of Rifle Factory "Congress Should Be Ready...": Mani Shankar Aiyar's Big INDIA Bloc Remark Bashar Al-Assad's Wife Files For Divorce, Wants To Return To UK: Report 3 Marriages, Rs 1.25 Crore: How 'Looting Bride' Targeted Rich Men Constipation Awareness Month 2024: Diet Tips For Better Digestion Ukraine Collects Vast War Data Trove To Train AI Models Manual Labour Resumes Excavation Work Of Sambhal Stepwell After JCB Fails Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.