India has signed a $248 million contract with Russian state arms exporter Rosoboronexport (RoE) to procure more powerful engines for its fleet of T-72 battle tanks, the Ministry of Defence announced on Friday.
The T-72, first inducted into the Indian Army in the 1970s, remains the backbone of the armoured fleet, with nearly 2,500 tanks currently in service. These tanks are presently powered by 780-horsepower (HP) engines, which will be upgraded to 1,000 HP engines under the new contract. The move is aimed at enhancing battlefield mobility and offensive capabilities, the Ministry said in a statement.
The deal also includes a transfer of technology (T0T) to India’s state-owned Armoured Vehicles Nigam Ltd (Heavy Vehicle Factory), Avadi, Chennai. This will facilitate the local integration and licensed production of the engines, reinforcing India’s ‘Make in India’ initiative and reducing dependency on foreign suppliers.
Strengthening its tank fleet, Ministry of Defence has signed a $248M deal with Rosoboronexport, Russia, to procure 1000 HP engines for T-72 tanks, upgrading their current 780 HP engines. This will significantly enhance battlefield mobility and offensive capability. The deal… pic.twitter.com/kGi6LBEv29
— Ministry of Defence, Government of India (@SpokespersonMoD) March 7, 2025
The Army has significantly bolstered its armoured capabilities with the induction of 2,400 T-72 tanks and 1,300 T-90S ‘Bhishma’ tanks, out of a total of 1,657 being produced under Russian license at the Heavy Vehicles Factory. Additionally, the fleet will expand with the acquisition of 118 upgraded Arjun Mark-1A tanks, supplementing the 124 Arjun tanks inducted over the past decade. To further enhance its operational readiness, the Army is also set to incorporate 354 indigenous light tanks under Project Zorawar, specifically designed for high-altitude warfare.
India has long relied on Russia as its primary defence supplier. However, Moscow’s ongoing war in Ukraine has impacted its ability to fulfil defence contracts, prompting New Delhi to explore Western suppliers for key military acquisitions.
Team BharatShakti
