Army gets ‘Made in India’ engines

Chennai, July 28

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday formally handed over two types of indigenously built high-power multi-fuel engines to the Army.

The engines manufactured by engine factory Avadi — a unit of Ordnance Factory Board, Department of Defence Production — were fully indigenised for the first time under the Centre’s ‘Make in India’ programme.

“Earlier, we were importing some of the components for defence. Now, with these two engines produced by you, you have proved that the Army does not look outside (other countries) than to look at you,” she said at a function in the factory, 35 km from here.

The first engine of 1,000 HP engine — V92S2 engine — powers T-90 Bhisma Tank, the second engine — V-46-6 engine — powers the T-72 Ajeya Tank and its variants are manufactured with ‘100 per cent Made in India’ parts, officials said. Earlier, local content of the two engines was up to 73 per cent, they said.

Sitharaman formally handed over the papers of the two types of engines to Vice Chief of Army Staff Devraj Anbu. She said engine factory GM Anil Kumar has said the factory would be producing fully indigenised engines for the BMP-1 tank as well. “You have made us proud,” she said. — PTI