NEW DELHI, October 26. /TASS/. The Indian Ministry of Defense plans to modernize up to 80 Soviet-and Russian-designed T-72 and T-90 tanks in service with the Indian Army annually, starting in April 2028, according to The Times of India.
The government has allocated 4.6 billion rupees ($48.3 million) for the program to extensively modernize the armored vehicles. The work will be carried out at a defense enterprise in Jabalpur (Madhya Pradesh) using Russian technical documentation and expertise.
In March 2025, India signed a $248 million contract with Russia’s state arms exporter Rosoboronexport for the procurement of 1,000 HP engines for the T-72 tanks slated for modernization. The deal also provided for the transfer of technology to India’s manufacturer Armored Vehicles Nigam Limited (AVNL) for the integration and subsequent licensed production of the engines as part of the promotion of the Made in India initiative in the defense sector.
Soviet-and Russian-designed T-72 and T-90 tanks, in various modifications, form the backbone of India’s armored forces. In total, the Indian army operates up to 4,000 such tanks, most of which were assembled in India under license.