New Delhi: India has begun a search for a foreign vendor to meet its requirement for at least 1,770 future battle tanks, for induction beginning 2030, to meet threats from both China and Pakistan.

The Indian Army today issued a Request for Information, third since 2015, to Foreign Original Equipment Manufacturers (FOEMs) to make the Future Ready Combat Vehicle (FRCV) in India in a phased manner. Interested FOEMs should respond to the RFI by Sep. 15.

The army has asked the vendors to indicate if they can provide Performance Based Logistics, Transfer of Technology, Engineering Support Package and other Maintenance and Training requirements also, along with the battle tanks.

The FRCV platform is planned to be procured under the ‘Strategic Partnership’ route within the provision of Chapter-VII of Defence Acquisition Procedure – 2020.

“The Ministry of Defence, Government of India, seeks information from the foreign OEM for participation in FRCV project in accordance with Chapter-VII of DAP- 2020. This RFI supersedes earlier RFI issued on 08 Nov. 2017 on the same subject, being technologically outdated,” the RFI document said.

The Indian Army had issued for an RFI for FRCVs for the first time in July 2015. You can read the 2015 RFI details here.

“In conformity with the emerging future threat spectrum and the technological advancements, the Indian Army intends to induct a new ‘state-of-the art’ ‘technology enabled’ tank to operate in varied terrain profile (High Altitude Areas, Plains/Riverine, Deserts/Semi-Deserts) across the current and future spectrum of conflict, which will remain in service for the next 40-50 years as the ‘Main Battle Tank’ of the Indian Army,” today’s RFI said.

India wants to obtain Comprehensive Technologies, including detailed design manufacturing know-how of the FRCV platform being offered. The Indian ‘Strategic Partner’ will retain the ownership of the design and technologies for the platform to ensure realisation of ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’.

To provide impetus to indigenisation, incentive to Transfer of Technology (ToT) and Indigenous Content (IC) will be specified in the Expression of Interest issued to the Foreign OEMs.

The FRCV total quantities are planned to be inducted in a phased manner to ensure delivery of FRCV platforms in synch with technological advancements. Hence, the Foreign OEM, desirous of participating in the opportunity, would have to indicate the numbers recommended for this phased induction.

The phased induction will cater for the following aspects:

(a) Initially, limited quantities are planned to be inducted that will assist in product improvement of the subsequent induction based on performance/feedback.
(b) Rapid pace of technological advancements are now taking place every three-four years, and is bringing in new systems and concepts. The phased induction will thus cater for this aspect and facilitate product improvement / upgradation and delivery of FRCV platforms in synch with technological advancements.

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