In a major boost to the Indian Army’s operational readiness and the country’s defence self-reliance drive, a Rs 472-crore project has been launched to create dedicated facilities for overhauling T-72 and T-90 tanks at the Vehicle Factory, Jabalpur.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on Thursday performed the ‘Bhoomi Pujan’ for the T-Series Tanks Overhaul Project at the Vehicle Factory, Jabalpur, a unit of Mini Ratna Defence Public Sector Undertaking Armoured Vehicles Nigam Limited (AVNL).

The new facilities are designed to overhaul 80 tanks annually, ensuring the timely availability of refurbished platforms to the Indian Army and strengthening its operational preparedness, the Ministry of Defence said.

The Army requires around 230 tanks to be overhauled every year, while the Heavy Vehicles Factory (HVF), Avadi, currently has the capacity to overhaul 150 tanks annually. The Jabalpur facility will therefore help bridge the existing capacity gap.

Speaking at the event, Mr. Singh described the project as a reflection of India’s growing technological capabilities and industrial strength. He said the facility would contribute to the government’s vision of making India a leading global hub for defence manufacturing and exports.

The Defence Minister said the character of warfare is changing rapidly with the increasing use of drones, precision-guided weapons, missiles, satellites, artificial intelligence and cyber warfare. However, he stressed that tanks continue to remain relevant, with their role evolving as part of integrated combat systems.

“Modern warfare demands combined capabilities rather than dependence on a single platform. Tanks, infantry, artillery, drones, air power, surveillance, and precision weapons together form an integrated combat system,” he said, referring to the Indian Army’s concept of the ‘Integrated Battle Group’.

He stressed the need to equip existing tanks with advanced sensors and capabilities suited to modern battlefield requirements.

“Our focus is to provide the soldiers with drones, missiles, artillery, electronic warfare capabilities, energy weapons and modernised tanks, while ensuring seamless coordination among them. This overhaul facility will advance this vision,” he said.

The Heavy Vehicles Factory, Avadi, has supplied around 4,400 tanks to the Indian Army over the past four decades, underscoring its role in strengthening the country’s armoured warfare capabilities.

Mr. Singh also expressed confidence that AVNL, which has around 25 years of experience in overhauling T-72 and T-90 variant tanks, would set new benchmarks in quality, productivity, innovation and global competitiveness.

Highlighting the progress made under the government’s Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative, he said India’s defence production had risen to around Rs 1.80 lakh crore in 2025-26, from Rs 46,000 crore in 2014. Defence exports, he added, had also reached an all-time high of approximately Rs 39,000 crore, compared with less than Rs 1,000 crore.

He said the growth reflected India’s emergence as a global manufacturing hub and a reliable technology and defence partner.

The Defence Minister further emphasised the importance of resilient domestic supply chains and indigenous technological capabilities in preparing for prolonged conflicts.

“Our aim is to manufacture defence equipment domestically, undertake repair and maintenance within the country, upgrade existing systems with modern technologies, and develop next-generation capabilities indigenously,” he said.