The cost of one AK-203 will be $958, The Economic Times notes
TASS, January 14. India will soon launch production under the license of the Russian Kalashnikov AK-203 assault rifles at the plant in Korva (Uttar Pradesh). This was reported by the Indian newspaper The Economic Times.
As explained to the newspaper by the Chief of Staff of the Army of the Armed Forces of India, General Manoj Naravane, negotiations on the project are at an advanced stage and now there is a final agreement of individual points. At the same time, the military commander expressed confidence that the final contract for the production of automatic weapons will be signed in the near future.
According to the publication, it is planned to produce 671,427 AK-203 submachine guns, while the corresponding agreement provides for the full localization of weapons production and its possible export in the future.
According to The Economic Times, the cost of one AK-203 produced in India under license will be 70 thousand Indian rupees ($958), which is significantly less than the cost of American-made assault rifles purchased under an accelerated procedure for 89 thousand rupees ($1,218) per unit.
A military and diplomatic source told TASS on Thursday that the project for the licensed production of Russian AK-203 Kalashnikov assault rifles in India is at the final stage of implementation. "The project is at the final stage. All technical and commercial issues have been agreed, " the source said.
The AK-203 submachine gun in the configuration for the Indian Armed Forces was first presented at the international arms exhibition defexpo India 2020, held in February last year in the Indian city of Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh). In June 2020, The Economic Times reported that India and Russia had not reached an agreement on a proposal for a commercial price for the production of AK-203 assault rifles. The main reason for this was the coronavirus pandemic, the publication noted.