Ministry of Defence signed a Rs 586 cr deal with Accurate Industrial Controls for auxiliary power units for the Army’s T-72 and T-90 tanks.

The contract was signed in New Delhi on Monday, September 21, with Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh present at the signing.

These power units solve a problem that has quietly cost the Army fuel and safety for years. When tanks hold a position during a lull in battle, they still need power for sights, radios, navigation and stabilisation systems.

Until now, that meant keeping the main engine running, which burns fuel, wears down the powerpack, and gives away the tank’s position through heat and noise.

An auxiliary power unit changes that equation. It lets these systems run with the main engine switched off, cutting both fuel use and the tank’s signature on the battlefield.

The scale of what’s needed here is large. The Army’s total requirement stands at around 3,257 units, split roughly between 1,657 for the T-90 and 1,600 for the older T-72.

The defence ministry had cleared this requirement back in October 2019, after feasibility studies were completed. Monday’s contract covers a portion of that broader need.

What makes this deal notable is how it came about. The units were developed under the Make-II route, a framework where private companies fund and design the equipment themselves, without government money upfront.

The ministry called it a step towards indigenising critical tank sub-systems, and pointed to it as proof that homegrown innovation can move from an idea to something the armed forces actually use.

There is a bigger picture behind this contract too. India still runs an ageing fleet of about 2,400 T-72 tanks, which will eventually be replaced under the Future Ready Combat Vehicle programme, along with roughly 1,300 T-90 tanks.

Since a full replacement is still years away, upgrades like these power units, alongside thermal sights and fire detection systems, are how the Army keeps its existing fleet combat ready in the meantime.

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