Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on Thursday performed the Bhoomi Pujan for a new T-Series Tank Overhaul Project at Vehicle Factory Jabalpur, a unit of Armoured Vehicles Nigam Limited (AVNL).
The ₹472 crore project will establish dedicated overhaul facilities for the Indian Army’s T-72 and T-90 tanks, with a planned capacity to overhaul 80 tanks annually. The facility is aimed at ensuring timely availability of overhauled tanks and strengthening the Army’s operational readiness.
The Army requires around 230 tanks to be overhauled every year, while the Heavy Vehicles Factory (HVF), Avadi, currently has an annual overhaul capacity of 150 tanks. The new facility at Jabalpur will bridge the remaining capacity gap.
Addressing the gathering, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said the project reflects India’s growing technological and industrial capabilities and will contribute to the country’s ambition of becoming a major global defence manufacturing and export hub.
He highlighted the changing character of warfare, noting that the growing use of drones, precision-guided weapons, missiles, satellites, artificial intelligence and cyber warfare has not diminished the relevance of tanks but has changed the way they are employed.
Rajnath Singh stressed the need for integrated combat capabilities involving tanks, infantry, artillery, drones, air power, surveillance and precision weapons. He said existing tanks must be equipped with advanced sensors and modern battlefield capabilities to operate effectively as part of an integrated combat system.
The Defence Minister said the new overhaul facility would support the broader objective of modernising existing platforms while ensuring that critical repair, maintenance and upgrade capabilities remain within the country.
He pointed out that the Heavy Vehicles Factory, Avadi, has supplied around 4,400 tanks to the Indian Army over four decades, underlining the contribution of India’s defence production ecosystem to the country’s armoured capabilities.
According to Rajnath Singh, AVNL’s experience of around 25 years in overhauling T-72 and T-90 variants would help the new facility establish benchmarks in quality, productivity, innovation and competitiveness.
The project is also expected to provide a boost to the local defence industrial ecosystem. The overhaul facility will generate demand for mechanical, electrical, electronic and hydraulic components, assemblies and subsystems, creating opportunities for MSMEs and ancillary industries in Jabalpur and surrounding areas.
Rajnath Singh said the initiative would strengthen domestic supply chains and generate employment opportunities for workers, youth, small entrepreneurs and other sections of the local population.
Highlighting the progress of the Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative in defence, the Defence Minister said India’s defence production had increased to around ₹1.80 lakh crore in FY 2025-26, compared with ₹46,000 crore in 2014. Defence exports also reached an all-time high of approximately ₹39,000 crore, up from less than ₹1,000 crore in 2014.
He asserted that nations possessing advanced technologies, resilient supply chains, strong industrial capacity and dynamic innovation ecosystems would be better placed to sustain 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,” Rajnath Singh said.
The Defence Minister also praised Madhya Pradesh’s efforts to attract investment and expand its defence manufacturing base. He highlighted the proposed defence manufacturing opportunities across 3,073 hectares in the Gwalior-Chambal region and investments exceeding ₹16,960 crore.
He said these initiatives could help establish Madhya Pradesh as a major Defence and Aerospace Manufacturing Hub.
Chief Minister Mohan Yadav welcomed the investment in Jabalpur, stating that the project would strengthen the state’s defence ecosystem and increase participation of MSMEs in defence manufacturing.
Secretary (Defence Production) Sanjeev Kumar, AVNL CMD Satyabrata Mukherjee and senior officials from the Department of Defence Production, AVNL and the armed forces were also present at the event.
