Russian weapons manufacturer Kalashnikov has signed a pact to supply small arms to partners in India.

Maxim Karavaev, Kalashnikov’s business development director in India, said the pact envisages the supply of anti-drone cartridges.

Under the terms of the deal signed at India Homeland Security Expo, an exhibition of equipment and technologies for national and public safety, Kalashnikov is expected to produce the supplies by the end of this year.

In particular, anti-drone shotguns, anti-drone cartridges of various calibers, and pistols will be shipped, it said in a statement.

“Anti-drone protection today is among the most popular in the world. The products of the concern in this niche are effective and proven,” Karavaev said.

Unmanned aerial systems have been a standout feature of the two-day India Homeland Security Expo, which ends on Thursday.

The compact Karakurt and Goliath copter-type UAVs and the SKAT 350 M high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft, known as GARUDA in India, were the highlights of the expo.

Two 12-gauge anti-UAV guns – the Saiga and the MP-155 – designed specifically to counter first-person view (FPV) drones were also showcased, apart from uniform kits developed by Kalashnikov for cold, high-altitude environments.

Kalashnikov already has partnerships with Indian entities. Indo-Russian Rifles Private Limited (IRRPL), formed by Rosoboronexport and the Kalashnikov Concern along with two state-owned Indian firms – Advanced Weapons and Equipment India Limited and Munitions India Limited – started manufacturing AK-203 assault rifles in India in 2023.

The manufacture of 600,000 AK-203 rifles spread over ten years is being done under the ‘Make in India’ initiative of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The rifles are being made using Russian technology and certified equipment in the town of Korda in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.