Kalashnikov may launch joint arms concern with India

The Kalashnikov Concern, a Russian small arms manufacturer, has begun negotiations with Indian companies to produce weapons in the country, Kalashnikov CEO Alexei Krivoruchko said Monday.

"We are in talks with both public as well as private companies in India. But it is a bit early to offer any specific names, as we are still in negotiations," Krivoruchko told the Press Trust of India news agency.

According to the company head, talks began in early 2015, although Indian companies expressed interest in manufacturing Kalashnikov rifles in 2008.

Krivoruchko added that the arms manufacturer expects to produce at least 50,000 rifles a year by sharing its technology with Indian partners. Indian companies must invest some $100 million to launch production in the country, he added.

The Kalashnikov Concern was created in 2013 in the merger of two Soviet-era plants, Izhmash and Izhevsk Mechanical Plant, becoming Russia’s largest producer of rifles and other weaponry.

First published by Sputnik.

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