India grants new prototype funding to Tata and Mahindra as Zorawar light tank enters trials.

India’s Ministry of Defence has formally allowed Tata Defence and Mahindra Defence to build and test their own Indigenous Light Tank (ILT) ‘Make-I’ prototypes, while the Zorawar tank, developed by L1T with DRDO, is already being tested.

According to the Indian Defence Research Wing on October 29, 2025, India’s Ministry of Defence has cleared Tata Defence and Mahindra Defence to develop prototypes of the Indigenous Light Tank under the Make-I framework with partial government funding. On the other hand, the Zorawar, co-developed by Larsen & Toubro (L&T) with the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), has moved ahead with evaluation stages after demonstrating strong mobility and fire accuracy at elevations above 4,000 meters. The Indigenous Light Tank (ILT) is part of a Rs 2,300-crore initiative to field 59 units by 2028 and scale to six regiments thereafter, reinforcing India’s operational readiness in high-altitude regions.
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India’s Ministry of Defence has formally allowed Tata Defence and Mahindra Defence to build and test their own Indigenous Light Tank (ILT) ‘Make-I’ prototypes, while L&T’s Zorawar tank, developed with DRDO, is already being tested. (Picture source: Indian MoD)

India’s Indigenous Light Tank (ILT) program has accelerated in 2025 as part of the Army’s modernization drive to enhance mobility in high-altitude warfare along the Line of Actual Control (LAC). The initiative was launched after the 2020 Galwan Valley clash highlighted the limitations of existing main battle tanks such as the T-72M1, T-90 Bhishma, and Arjun Mk1A, which are too heavy for effective operations above 4,000 meters. The program, budgeted at over Rs 2,300 crore for its initial stage, aims to deliver 59 light tanks by 2028 and scale to 354 units across six regiments. Three companies—Larsen & Toubro (L&T), Tata Defence, and Mahindra Defence—are the leading contenders under the Make-I category. L&T, in partnership with DRDO, leads the program with its Zorawar platform already in advanced trials, while Tata Defence and Mahindra Defence have entered the funded prototype development phase. The program is intended to build an indigenous ecosystem under DRDO’s Combat Vehicles Research & Development Establishment (CVRDE), which supervises the entire effort to ensure adherence to performance, cost, and timeline benchmarks.

The ILT project represents a doctrinal and structural evolution in Indian armored warfare strategy, focusing on agile, air-transportable, and amphibious platforms capable of rapid deployment to mountain sectors such as Ladakh and Arunachal Pradesh. The design requirement calls for a 25–30-tonne vehicle armed with a 105 mm gun, hybrid propulsion, and artificial intelligence for partial autonomy in target acquisition and mobility management. The platform must be transportable by C-17 Globemaster III or CH-47 Chinook aircraft and operate on difficult terrain with reduced logistical burden compared to heavy armor. Five bids were received by July 2025, but the field has narrowed to three qualified companies, of which Tata Defence has been classified as L1 and Mahindra Defence as L2. Both will work under the Make-I structure, which provides 50 percent government funding, enforces penalties for delays, and ensures intellectual property retention for export purposes. These provisions are designed to stimulate domestic defense innovation and create a competitive industrial environment.

Larsen & Toubro’s Zorawar, jointly developed with DRDO, is the most advanced of the three prototypes and forms the centerpiece of India’s light tank initiative. The first prototype was unveiled at the Hazira facility in Gujarat in February 2025, with a second prototype scheduled for field trials by September 2025. The Zorawar weighs approximately 25 tonnes and is equipped with a Cockerill 3105 turret mounting a 105 mm high-pressure rifled gun, an autoloader, and a 7.62 mm remote weapon station. It uses a Cummins VTA903E-T760 diesel engine generating 760 horsepower paired with a RENK HMPT-800 transmission, producing a power-to-weight ratio between 30 and 40 horsepower per tonne. Its hybrid diesel-electric configuration provides a range of around 500 kilometers. The tank employs a hydropneumatic suspension system, composite rubber-band tracks, and AI-enabled electro-optical sensors capable of detecting targets up to 5 kilometers away. It can ford water obstacles up to 4 meters deep, is airliftable, and is designed to perform in both desert and high-altitude terrain.

Zorawar’s design has been progressively refined through a joint venture established in March 2025 between John Cockerill Defence (Belgium) and Pune-based Electro Pneumatics and Hydraulics (EPH), under a 60:40 arrangement for domestic turret production. This cooperation allows for local manufacturing, potential export opportunities, and supply chain resilience. The turret integrates a high-pressure 105 mm gun capable of firing armor-piercing, high-explosive, and guided rounds, and can launch anti-tank guided missiles, including the Nag Mk II tested in October 2025. The tank’s Nag Mk II integration enables standoff engagement ranges of 7 to 10 kilometers. Additional features include two Safran PASEO stabilized sights for hunter-killer operations, modular armor meeting NATO STANAG 4569 Level 4 ballistic standards, and laser-warning sensors linked to multi-purpose smoke-grenade dischargers. The platform also includes an integrated counter-unmanned-air-system (C-UAS) suite capable of detecting, tracking, and engaging aerial threats autonomously.

Meanwhile, Tata Defence and Mahindra Defence are developing their own prototypes under Make-I, with total funding authorization of Rs 2,343 crore. Each company will produce two prototypes within 36 months, integrating indigenous components such as Bharat Electronics’ fire-control system and DRDO’s counter-drone technology. Tata Defence is adapting its WhAP 8×8 wheeled armored platform into a tracked configuration with electric drive, designed for silent movement and lower thermal signature. Mahindra Defence’s design draws from its Armored Specialist Vehicle (ASV) and emphasizes modular armor systems that can be swapped rapidly to configure the tank for reconnaissance or direct-assault missions. Both programs are currently in the conceptual design phase, with metal cutting expected by mid-2026. Their participation ensures industrial redundancy, encourages technological innovation, and provides insurance against developmental setbacks affecting the lead Zorawar program.

The trials and testing phases of the Zorawar tank have advanced rapidly since 2024. Developmental trials began at L&T’s Hazira Complex and continued at the Mahajan Field Firing Range in Bikaner, followed by high-altitude trials in Nyoma, Ladakh at elevations exceeding 4,200 meters. The vehicle achieved accuracy standards in desert conditions and demonstrated stable firing under cold and low-pressure environments. The second prototype, incorporating improved suspension, cooling, and sensor systems, entered state trials in mid-2025 and is expected to transition to user trials by the end of the year. Zorawar’s AI-driven fire-control system achieved successful first-round hit probabilities in testing, while its amphibious performance was confirmed in water crossings during preliminary trials. The Defence Acquisition Council authorized seven light-tank regiments, including one to be delivered directly by L&T and DRDO and six more through competitive procurement.

The project’s industrial and strategic framework combines lessons from the Arjun MBT program with a more pragmatic balance between indigenous production and selective foreign collaboration. The Arjun’s earlier challenges of delays, shifting requirements, and overemphasis on full indigenization have led DRDO and the Indian Army to adopt a hybrid approach for the ILT. Key components such as the Cockerill 3105 turret, RENK transmission, and Cummins engine are being co-developed and localized, while domestic firms in Vadodara, Rajkot, and Surat supply gear mechanisms, cooling systems, and rubber components. The government plans to invite engine manufacturers to establish local production lines if the chosen design powers the final 354-tank series. The first batch of 59 tanks is projected to cost approximately Rs 17,500 crore ($2.1 billion) in total, and the production cost per tank is estimated at Rs 70 crore ($8.3 million). Series manufacture is planned at L&T’s Hazira facility, with full induction targeted by 2027.

Written by Jérôme Brahy

Jérôme Brahy is a defense analyst and documentalist at Army Recognition. He specializes in naval modernization, aviation, drones, armored vehicles, and artillery, with a focus on strategic developments in the United States, China, Ukraine, Russia, Türkiye, and Belgium. His analyses go beyond the facts, providing context, identifying key actors, and explaining why defense news matters on a global scale.