DRDO launches ‘Ugram’, indigenous assault rifle for armed forces

The rifle has an effective range of 500 metres and weighs less than four kilograms and has been developed by DRDO’s Pune-based facility Armament Research and Development Establishments (ARDE) in collaboration with Hyderabad-based Dvipa Armour India Private Limited.

ARDE scientists, who have worked on the project, said the rifle was designed based on the General Staff Qualitative Requirements (GSQRs) of the Indian Army.

The rifle has a 20 round magazine and fires in both single and full auto mode. The configuration of the rifle is comparable to the latest AK and AR type rifles and it has a rivet-free design, making it robust.

The unveiling of this specific type of assault rifle of 7.62 x 51 mm calibre comes at a time when the Defence Acquisition Council had in December given a nod for procurement of 70,000 US-made SIG Sauer assault rifle of the same calibre for the Indian armed forces for over Rs 800 crore in addition to over 72,000 procured early in 2020.

DRDO’s Ugram will have to go through several internal tests, acceptance trials and user trials before it can be considered for induction.

Speaking about the Ugram assault rifle, ARDE Director Ankathi Raju said, “This was a mission mode project taken up two years ago. After the ARDE designed the rifle, we started looking for a private industry partner for development and manufacturing. Simultaneously, we started working on its hardware through our sources. We have followed the concept of Development cum Production Partner, DcPP for the speedy progress of the project. Under this, the vendor is associated with us during the design and production too. After the product is made by the vendor, it will undergo the acceptance trials. We placed the order for the assault rifleto the Hyderabad-based Dvipa Armour. The rifle will soon go for trials.”

A Mission Mode Project of the DRDO refers to a focused and time-bound development undertaken to achieve specific goals and objectives in the field of defence and technology.

Director Raju further said, “As part of its trial, a set number of rounds will be fired from Ugram without stoppage, and accuracy and consistency checks will be conducted. The weapon will be tested in various weather and geographic conditions including the high altitude, desert etc. A board of Army officers will be constituted for the acceptance procedure. If some non-compliances are found, we will have to address them in specific time and the trials will be redone. Before these trials, we also conduct our own internal trials at our own small arms testing facility. While the process of design and design-related analysis started two years ago, the development in collaboration with the private vendor was completed in 100 days.”

G Ram Chaitanya Reddy, Director of the Dvipa Armour India, said, “There is a major shortfall of assault rifles in India. The AK-203 project has not taken off because of the Russia Ukraine war and PLR is supplying weapons to the Israel Weapon Industries because of the Israel-Hamas conflict. So this window of opportunity has come up. Three months ago, in October 2023, we received the order. And we have successfully given five prototypes. We believe this is the fastest development of a weapon anywhere in the world. After the development of the prototype and their trials, we will go for more tests for which we will give 15 more units to the ARDE. Subsequently, the process of further clearances will begin.”