▁being ▁replaced ▁by ▁the ▁I WI ▁Neg ev . ▁ ▁History ▁Since ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 5 0 s , ▁the ▁Indian ▁armed ▁forces ▁had ▁been ▁equ ipped ▁with ▁a ▁locally ▁produced ▁copy ▁of ▁the ▁L 1 A 1 ▁self - loading ▁rif les . ▁In ▁mid - 1 9 8 0 s , ▁the ▁decision ▁was ▁taken ▁to ▁develop ▁a ▁ 5 . 5 6   mm ▁cal ib re ▁rif le ▁to ▁replace ▁the ▁ob sole te ▁rif les . ▁Tri als ▁on ▁various ▁pro tot ypes ▁based ▁on ▁the ▁A K M ▁were ▁carried ▁out ▁by ▁the ▁Arm ament ▁Research ▁and ▁Development ▁Est ab lish ment ▁( AR DE ) ▁in ▁P une . ▁On ▁the ▁completion ▁of ▁the ▁trial , ▁The ▁Indian ▁Small ▁Ar ms ▁System ▁( IN S AS ) ▁was ▁adopted ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 0 . ▁However , ▁to ▁phase ▁out ▁ ▁the ▁still ▁in ▁use ▁b olt - action ▁Lee – En field ▁rif les ▁as ▁quickly ▁as ▁possible , ▁India ▁had ▁to ▁ac quire ▁ 1 0 0 , 0 0 0 ▁ 7 . 6 2 × 3 9 mm ▁A K M - type ▁rif les ▁from ▁Russia , ▁Hung ary , ▁Roman ia ▁and ▁Israel ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 0 – 9 2 . ▁ ▁Origin ally , ▁three ▁variants ▁were ▁planned ▁in ▁the ▁IN S AS ▁system , ▁a ▁rif le , ▁a ▁car bine ▁and ▁a ▁squad ▁automatic ▁weapon ▁( SA W ) ▁or ▁Light ▁machine