The Cabinet committee on security has given its nod to procure 464 Russian T-90MS main battle tanks but will continue to hold out on finalising the deal till the Russian manufacturer agrees to the Make-In-India part of the deal, Defence News has reported.

The Defence Ministry has asked the original equipment manufacturer of the tanks Uralvagonzavod to increase the local production from the proposed 40 per cent to 80 per cent. The tanks are to be license produced by the state run Heavy Vehicles Factory.

Till now, India has procured over 310 T-90 tanks from Russia in a factory fitted version with the addition of a few minor equipment by the Ordnance Factory Board (OFB). But the engine alone accounts to about 40 per cent of the cost of a T-90MS tank and is not produced by the OFB, said an Army Officer.

Elaborating further, he went on say that, in the absence of a robust technology transfer deal, this venture may prove expensive as it does not cover the life cycle support and upgrades.

The Army has around 1100 T-90 MBTs out of which 300 have been directly imported from Russia.