diff --git a/build.gradle b/build.gradle
index 4a56a54d81..e01290fd39 100644
--- a/build.gradle
+++ b/build.gradle
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ buildscript {
         opensearch_build = version_tokens[0] + '.0'
 
         common_utils_version = System.getProperty("common_utils.version", '2.1.0.0')
-
+        kafka_version  = '3.0.2'
 
         if (buildVersionQualifier) {
             opensearch_build += "-${buildVersionQualifier}"
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@ forbiddenApisTest.enabled = false
 filepermissions.enabled = false
 forbiddenPatterns.enabled = false
 testingConventions.enabled = false
-// Conflicts between runtime kafka-clients:3.0.1 & testRuntime kafka-clients:3.0.1:test
+// Conflicts between runtime kafka-clients:x.y.z & testRuntime kafka-clients:x.y.z:test
 jarHell.enabled = false
 tasks.whenTaskAdded {task ->
     if(task.name.contains("forbiddenApisIntegrationTest")) {
@@ -308,7 +308,7 @@ dependencies {
     }
     implementation 'com.github.wnameless:json-flattener:0.5.0'
     implementation 'com.flipkart.zjsonpatch:zjsonpatch:0.4.4'
-    implementation 'org.apache.kafka:kafka-clients:3.0.1'
+    implementation "org.apache.kafka:kafka-clients:${kafka_version}"
     implementation 'com.onelogin:java-saml:2.5.0'
     implementation 'com.onelogin:java-saml-core:2.5.0'
 
@@ -329,7 +329,6 @@ dependencies {
 
     testImplementation 'org.apache.camel:camel-xmlsecurity:3.14.2'
 
-
     implementation 'net.shibboleth.utilities:java-support:7.5.1'
     implementation 'org.opensaml:opensaml-core:3.4.5'
     implementation 'org.opensaml:opensaml-security-impl:3.4.5'
@@ -388,9 +387,9 @@ dependencies {
     testImplementation 'com.unboundid:unboundid-ldapsdk:4.0.9'
     testImplementation 'javax.servlet:servlet-api:2.5'
     testImplementation 'org.apache.httpcomponents:fluent-hc:4.5.13'
-    testImplementation 'org.apache.kafka:kafka_2.13:3.0.1'
-    testImplementation 'org.apache.kafka:kafka_2.13:3.0.1:test'
-    testImplementation 'org.apache.kafka:kafka-clients:3.0.1:test'
+    testImplementation "org.apache.kafka:kafka_2.13:${kafka_version}"
+    testImplementation "org.apache.kafka:kafka_2.13:${kafka_version}:test"
+    testImplementation "org.apache.kafka:kafka-clients:${kafka_version}:test"
     testImplementation 'org.springframework.kafka:spring-kafka-test:2.8.6'
     testImplementation 'org.springframework:spring-beans:5.3.20'
     testImplementation 'org.junit.jupiter:junit-jupiter:5.8.2'
@@ -407,8 +406,8 @@ dependencies {
     testRuntimeOnly 'com.yammer.metrics:metrics-core:2.2.0'
     testRuntimeOnly 'com.typesafe.scala-logging:scala-logging_3:3.9.5'
     testRuntimeOnly 'org.apache.zookeeper:zookeeper:3.7.1'
-    testRuntimeOnly 'org.apache.kafka:kafka-metadata:3.0.1'
-    testRuntimeOnly 'org.apache.kafka:kafka-storage:3.0.1'
+    testRuntimeOnly "org.apache.kafka:kafka-metadata:${kafka_version}"
+    testRuntimeOnly "org.apache.kafka:kafka-storage:${kafka_version}"