Zorawar light tank

India's Zorawar is a light tank under development for mountain and high-altitude operations, intended to combine greater strategic and tactical mobility with armored direct firepower.

Overview

Zorawar, formally described as the Indian Light Tank, is an armored fighting vehicle developed by India's Defence Research and Development Organisation through its Combat Vehicles Research and Development Establishment, in partnership with Larsen & Toubro, according to the Indian government and Larsen & Toubro. The program is intended to provide the Indian Army with a lighter alternative to main battle tanks for deployment in mountainous terrain and at high altitude, particularly along India's northern border.

The vehicle remains in development rather than operational service. Official accounts document preliminary automotive and firing trials in desert conditions during 2024 and subsequent firing at an altitude above 4,200 m. The Indian Army has identified further design refinement, user evaluation and production readiness as prerequisites for induction. In June 2026, Army chief Gen. Upendra Dwivedi indicated that entry into service was likely in 2028-29 rather than under earlier schedules, according to the Hindustan Times.

Image - Zorawar during Indian developmental field firing trials in September 2024. Photo by the Government of India, GODL-India, adapted, via Wikimedia Commons.

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