India to switch, partially, from homegrown 5.56mm rifles to a U.S. 7.62×51
The second largest Army in the world intends to purchase U.S.-made Sig Sauer rifles to arm infantry battalions along the country’s sensitive border areas. The deal, valued at some 7 billion Rupees, or about $100 million U.S., would see some 72,400 SIG 716 rifles in 7.62x51mm NATO acquired as part of a “fast-track procurement” process.
Recruits of the Jammu & Kashmir Light Infantry with the Indian Army’s primary arm: INSAS rifles
The Commonwealth country, with a 1.2-million man active Army, used British kit from the late 19th Century to well into the 1980s, when it was still armed with domestically-made versions of the L1A1 (inch-pattern, semi-auto FN FAL), Sterling SMG, Browning Hi-Powers and Lee-Enfield rifles. Then, they switched to the all-Indian INSAS rifle and it has been universally disliked.