India is touting its locally manufactured AK-203 Sher assault rifle – an advanced version of Russia’s powerful Kalashnikov – as an important milestone for the “Make in India” initiative to reduce reliance on foreign-made weapon systems.The Sher, or Tiger, will replace the older, heavily criticised Indian National Small Arms System (INSAS) service rifles used by the Indian Army.Complaints about the INSAS emerged just a year after it was adopted by the army. Indian soldiers fighting the high-altitude Kargil war in 1999 against Pakistan-backed forces in Ladakh, then a part of Kashmir, said the firearm tended to jam or its magazine would crack in the freezing temperatures.After the Sher was successfully test-fired on August 23 at an ordnance factory in the northern town of Amethi, experts celebrated having cracked the Kalashnikov code without having to import any parts.This is a significant victory as most of India’s military weapon systems – from Su-30MKI fighter jets to several warships and submarines – come from Russia.A boy holds an INSAS assault rifle during a programme organised by Assam Rifles in Agartala, India, on October 27, 2016. Photo: ReutersIndia has been slowly trying to reduce its reliance on Russian-made weapons, as Moscow prioritises its own needs for its ongoing war with Ukraine, by buying equipment from France, Israel and the United States as well as boosting domestic manufacturing.