What are AK-203s that have been stolen from the Indian Army’s infantry unit in Hyderabad?

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The AK-203 has come into focus after four such rifles were reported missing from an Army storage facility in the Bollarum area of Secunderabad Cantonment in Hyderabad. The weapons were among several service firearms and ammunition reported missing by the 20 Madras Regiment.

The theft came to light on August 31, when Army personnel found the locks of the storage facility broken. Along with the four AK-203 rifles, an INSAS rifle with three magazines and several pistols were also reported missing. Bollarum police have registered a case and are investigating the matter along with the Army.

The presence of AK-203 rifles at a unit stationed in Secunderabad Cantonment, a peacetime location away from India’s forward border areas, raises a natural question, why would a relatively new assault rifle intended for infantry operations be held by such a unit? The answer lies in the Army’s gradual induction of the AK-203 and its plan to phase out the ageing INSAS rifle from infantry units.

The Indian Army is gradually transitioning its infantry units from the ageing INSAS (entered service in 1990s) to newer assault rifles, including the AK-203 and the SIG 716. The induction is being carried out in phases, with formations deployed in operational and forward areas receiving priority.

According to a source familiar with the process, infantry units are being equipped according to their authorised scale, with field formations prioritised during the initial distribution. Once those requirements are met, rifles are also distributed to units stationed in peacetime locations.

This means the presence of AK-203 rifles with the 20 Madras Regiment in Bollarum does not necessarily mean that the entire unit had been equipped with the rifle. “Depending on the stage of induction and the authorised scale, the weapons can be held by particular sub-units or specialist elements within a formation,” the source added.

The distribution is part of a broader, gradual process rather than a single nationwide replacement of the INSAS. The AK-203 has been prioritised for infantry formations, particularly those deployed in operational areas. Units serving in forward and far-flung border locations are therefore expected to receive the newer rifles as the induction progresses, while weapons beyond the immediate requirements of field formations can subsequently be distributed to peacetime units.

The AK-203 fires using trapped gas from its own bullets. When a shooter pulls the trigger, gunpowder ignites and pushes the bullet down the barrel. Before the bullet leaves the gun, some of the hot gas flows upward into a small tube. This gas pushes a metal rod backward, which forces the gun’s inner mechanism to open. As it moves back, it pulls out and throws away the empty bullet shell.

Finally, a heavy spring snaps the mechanism forward again, which grabs a fresh bullet from the magazine, pushes it into the chamber, and locks it tight so the gun is ready to fire again. The rifle which is a modern descendant of the iconic AK-47 is designed by Russia’s Kalashnikov Group.