India’s ambitious Zorawar light tank programme has taken a decisive step forward with Belgium emerging as a key partner in its development.
The collaboration was formalised on Thursday the 3rd of September 2026 during Belgian PM Bart De Wever’s official visit to India.
The tank tie-up with Belgium underscores a growing Indo-Belgian defence relationship, combining its manufacturing scale with Belgium’s advanced turret technology.
Designed for high-altitude warfare, Zorawar is India’s answer to China’s Type 15 tanks deployed along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
At just 25 tonnes, the tank is engineered for rapid deployment in Himalayan terrain, capable of being airlifted by the Indian Air Force’s C‑17 Globemaster.
Belgium’s John Cockerill Defence has partnered with Pune-based Electro Pneumatics and Hydraulics to produce the Cockerill 3105 turret in India — the first such manufacturing line outside Europe.
This turret, equipped with a 105mm rifled gun and autoloader, forms the core of Zorawar’s firepower.
The Zorawar project is more than a tank programme — it is a flagship Indo-Belgian defence collaboration, symbolizing how India is blending indigenous innovation with trusted European partnerships to meet strategic challenges
India’s Larsen & Toubro (L&T), working with DRDO, leads the tank’s production line-up.
Zorawar tank with hydropneumatic suspension is expected to achieve a top speed of 70 km/hr with an operational range of 450 km range.
The full package of firepower includes, apart from its Belgian 3105 turret, twin anti-tank guided missile (ATGM) launchers for ‘Nag Mk2’, coaxial 7.62mm Medium Gun and 12.7mm RCWS – the Remote Controlled Weapon System.
The RCWS basically protects the tank’s crew from getting them exposed to danger while they can aim their shots from inside the tank’s hull.
The initial order is for 59 tanks first delivery taking place before January 2028.
Army’s total requirement is for 354 Zorawar Light Combat Tank. Nearly all of them will be deployed at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) facing Chinese People’s Liberation Army.
