The development of light tanks for the Indian Army was announced by the Modi government on March 3, 2022. This move was made under the Make-I category of the 2020 Defence Procurement Procedure (DPP). India’s search for a light tank could end soon as L&T revealed that it is a partner in the ‘Zorawar Program’ aimed at building light tanks for the Indian Army, with the first prototype expected to be unveiled in late 2023, Ashish Dangwal reports in The Eurasian Times.
Having long been looking for a light tank, the Indian Army recently began Project Zorawar (roughly translated as “project powerful”), which calls for the introduction of indigenous light tanks adapted to operations in high-altitude zones. The Indian Army is looking for a light tank with a 25-ton weight limit and the same firepower as its traditional tanks. In addition, the military wants them to be equipped with loitering weapons, artificial intelligence (AI), tactical drone integration for surveillance to offer situational awareness, and an active defense system, Ashish Dangwal reports.
L&T is now selected as a development partner for the homegrown light tanks, according to Jayant D Patil, senior executive vice-president for the defense at L&T, who made this statement to Janes on September 16. As reported by Ashish Dangwal, while the company is involved in the platform’s development, he said that L&T is not assured a role in the tank’s production phase. Patil explained that under the Indian process, development and manufacturing contracts could not be combined: “Developed equipment has to undergo field evaluation trials and emerge successful for the induction clearance, and then [the] production ordering process begins,” he added.