Article Posted on : - Jul 21, 2009

A File Photo of T-90 tanks of the Indian Army

NEW DELHI (PTI): Government Monday said the supply of T-90 tanks built from indigenously produced components will commence this year.

"Supply of T-90 tanks through indigenous production of components will commence from 2009-10," Minister of State for Defence M M Pallam Raju said in a written reply in Lok Sabha.

He said the Ordnance Factories have so far supplied 186 tanks by assembling semi-knocked and knocked down kits. These kits were sent from Russia.

India and Russia had signed a contract for Transfer of Technology of the T-90 tanks in February 2001.

Last year also, India signed a deal for procuring around 350 more T-90s from Russia and another 1,000 would be license-produced here at its ordnance factories.

Meanwhile, replying to another query, Raju said the Bharat Earth Movers Limited (BEML) is planning to produce 500 rail coaches in this financial year and will produce another 2050 in the next three fiscals.