The Engine Is Not the Only Test: Indigenous APUs Move onto India's Tank Fleet
- The Ministry of Defence signed a Rs 586 crore contract on 21 September 2026 with Accurate Industrial Controls to procure Auxiliary Power Units for T-72 and T-90 tanks.
- The APU is an alternate source of electric power for the fire-control system, firing circuit, gun-stabilisation system and other tank ancillaries.
- The Ministry described the procurement as industry-led R&D under Make-II and a step toward indigenising critical sub-systems of armoured platforms.
- The signal is subsystem-level, not a platform announcement; the real test is qualified delivery at fleet scale with indigenous overhaul and spares support.
- The Ministry of Defence signed a Rs 586 crore contract on 21 September 2026 with Accurate Industrial Controls to procure Auxiliary Power Units for T-72 and T-90 tanks.
- The APU is an alternate source of electric power for the fire-control system, firing circuit, gun-stabilisation system and other tank ancillaries.
- The Ministry described the procurement as industry-led R&D under Make-II and a step toward indigenising critical sub-systems of armoured platforms.
- The signal is subsystem-level, not a platform announcement; the real test is qualified delivery at fleet scale with indigenous overhaul and spares support.
- Press Information Bureau, Ministry of Defence (21 Sep 2026): https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleseDetailm.aspx?PRID=2313016
- India.com (21 Sep 2026): https://www.india.com/news/india/big-boost-for-indian-army-as-defence-ministry-inks-rs-586-crore-deal-to-buy-auxiliary-power-units-for-t-72-t-90-tanks-8528487/
- Indian Masterminds (21 Sep 2026): https://indianmasterminds.com/news/t72-t90-tank-apus-586-crore-mod-contract-235371/
The development
On 21 September 2026 the Ministry of Defence signed a Rs 586 crore contract with Accurate Industrial Controls Private Limited for Auxiliary Power Units for the Indian Army's T-72 and T-90 tanks. Official text states the APU supplies electric power to the fire-control system, firing circuit, gun-stabilisation system and other ancillaries, and frames the deal as Make-II industry-led development converting indigenous innovation into production and induction. The contract was signed in New Delhi in the presence of the Defence Secretary.
Why it matters
Armoured-platform headlines usually attach to engines, guns or new tanks. Auxiliary power is the quieter constraint: without a reliable onboard source for fire control and stabilisation, a tank cannot fight with the main engine off or sustain its electronics under load. A contracted indigenous APU is a subsystem-level move, not a platform announcement - and the subsystem layer is where import dependency tends to persist.
The dependency and systems frame
India's tank fleet still carries imported or licensed subsystems at several high-value layers. Make-II is designed to convert private-sector design into repeatable production. The test is not the contract signature; it is whether Accurate Industrial Controls can deliver qualified units at fleet scale, with a supplier base that can support overhaul and mid-life upgrades without reverting to imported APUs.
What to watch
- Delivery schedule and first-unit induction into T-72 and T-90 formations.
- Whether the same vendor or other Indian firms win follow-on APU or related electrical-subsystem work for other armoured platforms.
- After-sales support depth: spares, overhaul and field-repair capability inside India.
Track the systems we watch
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