The Army Day is observed in India every year on January 15 to commemorate the achievements of the Indian Army and thank its personnel for their services. Notably, January 15, 1949, was the day when Field Marshal Kodandera M Cariappa became the first Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Army.
On this day, the Indian Army holds parade and organises multiple events, showcasing its military might. It must be mentioned here that the main parade is organised at the Cariappa Parade ground in Delhi Cantonment. In addition, Sena medals and gallantry awards are also conferred to Army personnel.
Since Independence, the Indian Army has been involved in multiple conflicts, including three full-fledged wars against Pakistan, showcasing its strength and might. Over all these years, the Army has focussed a lot on moderising itself, particularly its mechanised infantry and the tanks.
Like the queen of a chess board, tanks are considered as one of the most powerful equipment in a battlefield. It is estimated that the Indian Army has somewhere between 3,700 to 4,000 main battle tanks (MBTs) in its armoury. So, as we celebrate Army Day, here's a look at the current fleet of tanks in the Indian Army:
T-90S Bhishma: Initially developed by Russia, the T-90S Bhishma are locally manufactured in India and is backbone of the Indian Army's tank fleet. It is estimated that India has more than 1,300 T-90S Bhishma tanks.
T-72M Ajeya: A Soviet era tank, the Indian Army uses around 2,400 of T-72M Ajeya. However, the Army is planning to replace them with future MBTs developed indigenously.
Arjun: Designed and developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), Indian Army uses two variants of the Arjun tanks - Mk 1 and Mk 1A. Indian Army had inducted five Mk 1As in 2024 and has ordered 118 more such tanks.
Indian Army's plans for future MBTs
Zorawar: A light weight tank developed indigenously by Larsen & Toubro, Indian Army has ordered 59 such tanks and are planning to order 295 more of them. The Army is planning to use them on high-altitude areas such as Eastern Ladakh.
Future Ready Combat Vehicle: The DRDO is also working Future Ready Combat Vehicle (FRCV) or 'Ranjeet', which will be a next generation main battle tank that will replace the ageing T-72M Ajeya. According to reports, Indian Army will procure around 1,700 such tanks.
