UGRAM Rifle

India’s defense research organization, DRDO (Defense Research and Development Organisation), has unveiled a new battle rifle named UGRAM. Developed in under two years by the Armament Research and Development Establishment (ARDE) in Pune, UGRAM is poised to fulfill the evolving needs of the Indian Armed Forces and various internal security agencies. This next-generation 7.62×51 mm rifle integrates lessons learned from previous Indian service weapons—such as INSAS (Indian Small Arms System), JVPC (Joint Venture Protective Carbine), and other recent DRDO small arms projects—while introducing significant design upgrades to overcome legacy challenges.

1. A Mission-Mode Development

1.1 Rapid Design Cycle

UGRAM came about following a mission-mode directive from DRDO Headquarters around August–September 2022. Drawing from DRDO’s accumulated expertise in small arms design—particularly from the INSAS, CQB carbine, and Light Machine Gun projects—the design team swiftly developed, tested, and fine-tuned the UGRAM prototypes.
By January 2024, DRDO and its private-sector partner, Defense India Pvt. Ltd., produced the first five prototypes. These rifles were subsequently presented to a demonstration board comprising representatives from multiple Indian security forces. According to the designers, UGRAM met all user demonstration parameters set forth by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and aligned with many of the Indian Army’s qualitative requirements for a modern 7.62×51 mm weapon.

1.2 Collaboration With Private Industry

A key factor behind UGRAM’s quick turnaround is the close partnership with private industry. DRDO’s strategy has been to use its in-house expertise—such as barrel manufacturing on specialized cold-forging machines—and combine it with the private sector’s agility and resources. This partnership model fosters a robust domestic ecosystem, helps Indian industry gain IP (Intellectual Property) rights, and lays the groundwork for future exports.

2. Key Design Features

2.1 Monolithic Receiver

Unlike older stamped and riveted body designs, UGRAM sports a monolithic, CNC-machined receiver. This not only simplifies production but also enhances the rifle’s overall strength and dimensional stability. The design’s rigidity aids in consistent accuracy, even under rigorous field conditions.

2.2 Telescopic Opening & Non-Disturbed Sights

One of the key improvements over the INSAS is the way the rifle opens for maintenance. UGRAM’s upper receiver opens telescopically, avoiding the need to remove top covers. As a result, the rear sight remains fixed in place, preventing any loss of zero when conducting field-stripping or maintenance.

2.3 Relocated, Non-Reciprocating Charging Handle

The designers addressed the INSAS’s common user complaint of a hot charging handle. UGRAM’s charging handle is moved rearward to mitigate heat transfer, and it does not reciprocate with every shot. This improves both comfort and safety in rapid-fire or sustained-fire scenarios.

2.4 Improved, Robust Magazine

Building on lessons from INSAS’s sometimes-fragile transparent polymer magazines, UGRAM’s magazine is a polymer-metal hybrid. Wherever polymer contacts the rifle’s metal surfaces, DRDO added metal inserts to boost durability. This design reduces the risk of breakage and ensures more reliable feeding, even after drops or rough handling.

2.5 Simplified Controls & Familiar Ergonomics

UGRAM retains the familiar ergonomics of India’s previous service rifles—particularly INSAS—so troops transitioning to UGRAM can do so with minimal retraining. The selector switch, trigger geometry, and magazine insertion points are all located in positions that align with the muscle memory of existing Indian soldiers and paramilitary troops. Additionally, the post-and-peep iron sight arrangement is designed with multiple range settings (100 to 500 meters), each with a dedicated aperture for precise engagement.

3. Overcoming Legacy Challenges

  1. Heat Dissipation: By shifting the cocking handle away from the barrel’s hottest zones, DRDO eliminated much of the heat-related discomfort in earlier designs.
  2. Sight Zero Stability: Instead of mounting sights on a removable top cover, UGRAM’s monolithic body maintains zero even after field-stripping.
  3. Magazine Durability: Unlike INSAS’s easily crackable transparent polymer magazine, UGRAM’s polymer-metal hybrid offers sturdier, more dependable feeding.
  4. Reduced Complexity: The designers removed mechanisms like three-round burst—which were notoriously difficult to perfect in manufacturing—focusing instead on safe semi-auto and full-auto modes.

4. Future Prospects

UGRAM has already undergone successful demonstration trials with Indian security forces under MHA and is slated for user trials with the Indian Army. If formally adopted, this 7.62×51 mm battle rifle could become a standard infantry weapon, gradually replacing or supplementing existing rifles in Army and paramilitary inventories. It also underscores DRDO’s push to develop indigenous weapons technology and create a sustainable export-ready product line within India’s small arms industry.

With a design philosophy centered on robustness, simpler controls, and user familiarity, UGRAM promises to be a leap forward in India’s quest for self-reliance in small arms manufacturing. Enhanced features—like the monolithic receiver, improved magazine, and non-reciprocating charging handle—set a new benchmark for reliability and ease of use. Coupled with DRDO’s strategic partnership with the private sector, UGRAM exemplifies a homegrown innovation that bridges immediate operational needs and the long-term vision of making India a global defense exporter.