Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday laid the foundation stone for a Rs 472-crore facility at Vehicle Factory Jabalpur (VFJ) dedicated to the overhaul and upgradation of T-72 and T-90 tanks. The project is expected to reduce the time and logistical costs involved in transporting battle tanks for maintenance. Singh stated that the facility’s location closer to Army field formations would help restore tanks to operational readiness faster and improve overall efficiency.
The new facility will undertake comprehensive overhaul, repair, maintenance and technical upgradation of the armoured platforms. It will also include a modern plant and testing track for inspection and operational testing of tanks. In its first phase, VFJ is expected to completely overhaul and upgrade 12 T-72 tanks annually, according to officials. The project will add to India’s existing capacity for maintaining and upgrading its armoured fleet.
The facility follows a pilot initiative under which VFJ successfully overhauled two T-72 tanks before handing them back to the Army after inspection, repairs and replacement of components in line with prescribed technical specifications and quality standards. The Heavy Vehicles Factory at Avadi in Tamil Nadu currently has the primary responsibility for overhauling T-72 tanks. The new Jabalpur facility is therefore expected to expand the country’s overall overhaul capacity.
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Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, along with other ministers and BJP leaders, attended the foundation stone ceremony. Singh described the project as an important step towards strengthening defence preparedness and advancing self-reliance in defence production. The facility is also expected to create opportunities for micro, small and medium enterprises in manufacturing, ancillary services and component supply, potentially strengthening the domestic defence supply chain.
Singh also highlighted the growth of India’s defence production, which he stated had risen from around Rs 46,000 crore in 2014 to nearly Rs 1.80 lakh crore. Defence exports, according to the minister, increased from about Rs 1,000 crore to nearly Rs 39,000 crore during the same period. The government has set a target of taking defence exports beyond Rs 50,000 crore by 2028-29.
Jabalpur already has a significant defence manufacturing presence, with four major defence establishments recording combined production worth Rs 4,622 crore in 2025-26. VFJ alone registered production of around Rs 1,056 crore during the year. The new overhaul facility is expected to further strengthen Jabalpur’s role as a defence manufacturing and maintenance hub while supporting the Army’s ability to keep its armoured fleet operational.
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