CHENNAI: Armoured Vehicles Nigam Limited (AVNL), a public sector defence company headquartered in Avadi, Chennai, is looking to develop a new generation of light tanks with the help of western defence players.
AVNL sources familiar with internal deliberations told TNIE that they have not finalised any agreement with Russian companies. Instead, they pointed to a broader evaluation process involving both Russian and Western light tank platforms.
AVNL is understood to be leaning towards western designs that emphasise command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (C4ISR) integration, and lightweight firepower, including 120mm main guns.
Indian Army’s interest sparked by China’s use of light tanks near LAC in ’20
Sources said AVNL is in exploratory talks with leading global defence players, including Belgium’s John Cockerill and Israel’s Elbit Systems. A while ago, speculation was rife that AVNL had finalised an agreement with Russian defence export agency Rosoboronexport (ROE) to locally manufacture a variant of the 2S25 Sprut-SD tank platform. The vehicle, originally designed for Russia’s airborne troops, has been cited as a potential fit for India’s high-altitude warfare needs.
Western light tanks also offer enhanced survivability through composite and modular armour — characteristics that AVNL considers essential for India’s future battlefield environment, particularly in rugged, high-altitude terrain.
While AVNL has issued no official statement in this regard, its procurement activity offers insight into its strategic direction. Over the past several months, the firm has issued tenders seeking domestic and international partners to supply subsystems such as anti-drone systems, auxiliary power units (APUs), turret weapons, and power packs.
The Indian Army’s renewed interest in light tanks was sparked by China’s deployment of the Type 15 light tank near the Line of Actual Control during the 2020 standoff in Eastern Ladakh. India’s heavier platforms — such as the T-90 and the domestically developed Arjun — were not found to be optimal for the high-altitude operational environment. Project Zorawar, named after the 19th-century Dogra general Zorawar Singh, was launched in response.
Spearheaded by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) in collaboration with Larsen & Toubro (L&T), the initiative aims to develop a 25-tonne class light tank tailored for mountain warfare. An initial order of 59 tanks has already been placed with L&T, but a further 295 units are up for grabs in what is shaping up to be a high-stakes defence procurement race.
Not content with merely competing in the open tender for these tanks, AVNL has approached DRDO to be designated as an additional Development-cum-Production Partner (DcPP) alongside L&T. The company is reportedly seeking transfer of technology and manufacturing rights for the Indian Light Tank (ILT), aiming to create a parallel production line and reduce the risk of single-vendor dependency.
With a legacy of producing over 4,400 battle tanks and variants since 1966, AVNL has the industrial footprint and technical capability to support full-cycle armoured fighting vehicle development, including lifetime sustainment. The firm is also in the process of investing more than Rs 2,000 crore to modernise its facilities.