Armoured Vehicles Nigam Limited (AVNL) is one of the seven new Defence Public Sector Undertakings. Our main products are tanks such as the Arjun, T-90 Bhishma, T-72 Ajeya, BMP-II Sarath (and their variants), the mineprotected vehicle (6x6 and 4x4), and the bridge laying tank. We are India’s only tank manufacturers and one of the oldest institutions in India’s armoured vehicles manufacturing domain. Our production units include the Heavy Vehicle Factory and Engine Factory at Avadi, Vehicle Factory Jabalpur, Ordnance Factory Medak, and Machine Tool Prototype Factory at Ambernath.

As part of our steps towards modernisation and indigenisation, all our units are actively engaged with Indian industries, academia, and iDEX (Innovations for Defence Excellence). Through this engagement, we are not only upgrading our existing products but also developing new products and technology. Our Indian industry partners are promoted through Make-II procedures, source development OTE (Overall Throughput Effectiveness), signing MoUs, etc. Of the 31 critical LRUs/sub-assemblies/items for indigenisation, 21 have already been sourced locally. In addition, 40 more items have been indigenised post corporatisation and AVNL has successfully placed orders from domestic supply vendors for 221 crores. This is a testament towards our goal for Aatma Nirbhar Bharat for self-reliance in the defence sector.

An MoU between MIDHANI and AVNL for establishing an armour production facility and the indigenisation of Armoured Steel for defence applications has been established. MIDHANI is a well-known manufacturer of superalloys, titanium alloys, and special-purpose steels required for strategic sectors such as defence, space, and aeronautics. AVNL is planning to achieve 100 per cent indigenisation progressively by December 2025 to eliminate dependency on foreign sources for defence equipment.

The Indian Army has placed a contract for the supply of 464 T-90 MK-III tanks, valued at approximately ₹18,000 crores. This is part of the other orders AVNL has bagged for ₹32,000 crores, such as Kavach, BMP-II, Arjun MK-II, T-90 Bhishma, T-72 Ajeya, BLT, and MPV 6x6. These products and numbers are evidence of our commitment, creativity, and steadfast determination to protect our nation and support our armed forces. Additionally, we have successfully overhauled major critical assemblies of the MBT Arjun, which exemplifies our technical prowess and our commitment to self-reliance.

AVNL are India’s only tank manufacturers and one of the oldest institutions in India’s armoured vehicles manufacturing domain

AVNL has recently signed a significant contract with the Indian Army to upgrade a fleet of 693 ICV BMP-II Sarath vehicles. These upgrades will improve the firepower, night-enabled Fire Control System (FCS), automatic target tracking, nextgeneration missile firing capabilities, and other advanced features. BMP2M has been developed through an in-house R&D project and has undergone rigorous field trials to ensure its performance.

The weight of the T-72 tank has been increased from 41 tonnes to 44 tonnes by adding various value-added modules. To achieve this, the power of the engine was increased by making changes to the intake system, exhaust system, and cooling & lubrication system while keeping the core engine components the same. The uprated engine successfully underwent 400 hours of endurance testing. It has been integrated into the existing vehicle compartment with minimal modifications required.

To accommodate the 1000 hp engine, a more efficient air filtration system and compact cooling system have been integrated within the existing vehicle compartment. The uprated engine completed user trials in desert conditions in summer as well as medium fording evaluation. All the upgrade modules, including Turbocharger, Charge air cooler, Water pump, Exhaust manifold, oil filter, air filtration system, and cooling system, are locally available.

This upgrade is proven, easy to implement, time-saving, cost-effective, and indigenous. The Army plans to upgrade the current fleet of T-72 Tanks with a 1000 hp engine and its associated systems through the ‘MAKE’ category. Transfer of Technology (ToT) for the upgradation of T-72 Tanks with an uprated 1000 hp engine and its associated systems is available to Indian industries.

AVNL’s vision is to become a global leader in armoured vehicle manufacturing and reach a pinnacle of $1 billion by FY 2025-2026.