Vehicle Factory Jabalpur (VFJ), a key production unit under Armoured Vehicles Nigam Limited (AVNL), has achieved a notable milestone by successfully overhauling its first two T-72 tanks under a dedicated pilot project.

This accomplishment marks a pivotal step in expanding India's tank overhaul capabilities to support the Indian Army's growing operational needs.

The overhauled tanks were formally flagged off on Wednesday in a ceremony presided over by Lieutenant General Amardeep Singh Aujla, the Master General of Sustainment (MGS).

Lieutenant General Aujla commended the VFJ team for their timely execution, highlighting the challenging nature of the task and expressing confidence in their ability to handle larger-scale overhauls in the future.

The initiative stems from the Indian Army's heightened demand for battle tank maintenance, prompting AVNL to leverage VFJ alongside the existing facilities at Heavy Vehicles Factory (HVF), another AVNL unit.

In 2025, VFJ received formal approval to commence pilot overhauls, enabling it to augment the nation's tank sustainment infrastructure.

VFJ completed the work in strict adherence to the Indian Army's technical specifications and stringent quality standards, underscoring its technical prowess and operational readiness.

Sanjay Dwivedi, Chairman and Managing Director of AVNL, congratulated the VFJ workforce on meeting the deadline and reaffirmed AVNL's pledge to deliver efficient tank overhauls moving forward.

This pilot success not only validates VFJ's expanded role but also aligns with broader efforts to bolster indigenous maintenance capabilities for the Army's armoured fleets. The T-72, a cornerstone of India's main battle tank inventory, benefits immensely from such upgrades, ensuring enhanced reliability and combat effectiveness amid evolving threats.

By distributing overhaul responsibilities across AVNL units like VFJ and HVF, the Indian defence ecosystem gains resilience against surging maintenance demands.

Lieutenant General Aujla's address emphasised the strategic importance of this development, predicting that VFJ would soon undertake substantial overhaul contracts with the same diligence.

This event reflects AVNL's proactive strategy in capacity building, vital for sustaining the Indian Army's mechanised forces in a dynamic geopolitical landscape. VFJ's integration into tank overhaul operations promises to reduce turnaround times, optimise resource utilisation, and support the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative in defence manufacturing.

As India modernises its armoured corps, such milestones reinforce the public sector's pivotal contribution to self-reliance in military hardware sustainment.

Based On PTI Report