India Arms Market Competition

India to immediately import 70,000 AK-203 assault rifles off the shelf from Russia. This deal is worth approximately US$ 70 million.


https://theprint.in/defence/india-inks-deal-with-russia-to-immediately-procure-70000-latest-ak-rifles-off-the-shelf/718827/

India will produce no less than 670,000 AK-203 assault rifles at home under license from Russia.

For that India will have to place order for the RPK-16. Currently India is not using it AFAIK.

Yes, what I was meaning is that a factory that makes AK-203s could also be adapted to make light support weapons too... they might want an RPK type light support weapon or perhaps a PKP which is the light machine gun version of the PKM.

Not familiar with the weapons they currently use or plan to use.

The obvious problem of course is that the RPK-16 and RPL-20 will be 5.45mm calibre which India does not use, so conversions to 7.62 x 39mm or to 5.56mm calibre would be needed.

The Russians intend to keep using the PKP in the LMG role because of its power and range but want to add a belt fed lighter weapon to operate with it.

A 5.45mm weapon is not as powerful and has a shorter effective range but you can carry rather more ammo because the ammo is much lighter.

India to immediately import 70,000 AK-203 assault rifles off the shelf from Russia.

Good work for the Russians and it will speed up India getting rifles in to service to replace their old AKs.

AFAIK the AK-203s are to replace the AK and AKMs they have in service while the US rifles are to replace their INSAS rifles.