New Delhi: Indian Army is expected to have light weight tanks by 2023 which will be made in India in collaboration with Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Larsen & Turbo (L&T).

While speaking to media, DRDO Dr G Satheesh Reddy said, "Work on the Light Weight Tank is going on in full swing. By 2023 the tank will be fully ready for production."

He further said, "We are involving the Indian industry as Development cum Production Partners (DcPP). A lot of projects are being developed along with the industry.”

The need for light weight tanks has been felt more in the wake of the standoff between the armies of India and China along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh.

Since the Indian Army does not have light tanks, it has been forced to deploy heavier tanks like the T-72 weighing 45 tons and T-90 which weighs around 46 tons. Moving these tanks in the tough terrain of mountains remains a challenging task.

It should be noted that last year, the Army had issued a Request For Information (RFI) for procuring around 350 light tanks with a weight of less than 25 tonnes to be deployed in High Altitude Areas (HAA).