The Zorawar light tank program has faced a major propulsion setback stemming from international export controls. According to the Director of Larsen & Toubro (L&T), the chosen German-origin MTU engine, which had been finalised after extensive evaluation, was not delivered on time despite being ready as far back as October 2022.

Delivery was withheld for over 13 months because of export control restrictions, stalling progress on the planned powerpack integration. This delay had a critical knock-on effect on the programme’s developmental timelines.

In response, India was compelled to adopt an alternative solution. The Zorawar prototypes currently being tested are fitted with an American-made Cummins engine that was inducted as a stopgap measure. 

The Cummins integration allowed the project to move forward, with the light tank presently undergoing mobility and systems trials in varied terrains. This ensured that the overall programme did not grind to a halt despite the embargo imposed on the original MTU supply chain.

The presence of the Cummins engine is not only a contingency measure but also offers a promising avenue in the medium term. The engine’s performance in current trials has indicated that with proper localisation, production of this power unit within India can sustain the initial induction of Zorawar light tanks into service.

Setting up local manufacturing lines and supply chains for Cummins power-packs would provide the Army with transitional self-sufficiency while also mitigating the risks of further foreign denials.

However, strategic planners emphasise that reliance on imported engines, even if partially localised, is not a sustainable roadmap. The long-term solution lies in the creation of a fully indigenous Indian powerpack that can integrate engine, transmission, and cooling systems optimised for high-altitude mobility and amphibious operations—key roles the Zorawar is intended to perform.

Development of such an indigenous engine-transmission suite must become a national priority, combining defence public-sector expertise with private industrial capability to ensure complete autonomy in critical propulsion technology.

The delays in the Zorawar project highlight a broader pattern: India’s vulnerability in defence programmes due to propulsion dependency. As tanks, aircraft, submarines, and even UAVs still rely on imported engines from Europe, the U.S., or Russia, adversarial policy shifts can derail entire capability-building efforts.

The Zorawar case illustrates the urgency of accelerating the indigenous engine ecosystem, from metallurgy and high-pressure fuel systems to advanced gearboxes and digital engine controls.

The experience also underscores the importance of bilateral defence-industrial engagement. While India has deepening ties with the U.S., which allowed the Cummins supply to materialise, the risk attached to overreliance on any single country remains real.

Thus, indigenous engine development, even if prolonged and resource-intensive, is not merely a technical aspiration but a strategic necessity to ensure the Army’s light armour modernisation succeeds without external impediment.

IDN (With Agency Inputs)