India’s Largest Armoured Vehicle Program: Armoured Vehicles Nigam Limited, or AVNL, is now pushing the Future Infantry Combat Vehicle, or FICV, into a bigger industry phase. AVNL is a fully owned Government of India company that was formed in 2021 after the old Ordnance Factory Board was split up. Its own records also show that FICV is one of its ongoing future projects. In a recent tender, AVNL invited industry partners for blast protection work. The document says the selected partner would first make 2 prototype sets and could later supply 480 sets for series production if AVNL gets the Army contract. That is a clear sign that AVNL wants more Indian companies, including private firms, to join the project early.
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The old defence paperwork around FICV also matters here. A Ministry of Defence notice earlier described FICV as a “Make” project under DPP-2008, which shows that the programme has long been tied to Indian development and local industry work. In simple words, the whole idea is to build more of the vehicle in India and reduce outside dependence.
Why the Indian Army Wants a New Vehicle?
The FICV is meant to replace the Indian Army’s ageing BMP-2 “Sarath” fleet. A recent DRDO publication said the Army needs FICV because BMP-2 vehicles have been in service since the 1980s and modern war now needs better protection and network-centric warfare. AVNL’s own product page shows why the BMP-II “Sarath” has served for so long. It is a fully tracked and amphibious infantry combat vehicle with a 30 mm cannon, a 7.62 mm PKT machine gun, a Konkurs anti-tank missile, night vision gear, and smoke grenade launchers. AVNL also says 2,372 BMP vehicles have been produced and issued so far.
That is also why the Army wants something newer. Modern battlefields are not just about tanks and guns now. They also have armed drones, loitering munitions, guided missiles, top-attack weapons, and heavy electronic networking. Recent coverage says the FICV is being shaped as a modern, heavily protected, highly mobile vehicle for that kind of war.
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What the FICV Could Mean for India
The project is big. Recent reporting places it at about ₹60,000 crore. Earlier Army remarks had said the force was working toward FICV induction by 2026-27, with around 2,600 vehicles in mind for the long run. Even now, the latest public material still shows a large contest between public and private Indian defence firms to build the next vehicle.
