India picks US firm Cummins for indigenous tank engines

India has opted for Cummins, an American company, to supply engines for its domestically produced light tanks, urgently required to counter Chinese deployments in high altitudes.

It was confirmed that the project to develop these tanks had been approved the previous year, with Larsen and Toubro collaborating with the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) to create a prototype.

According to the report, the project encountered challenges when a German firm, originally chosen for engine supply due to its high power-to-weight ratio, failed to reach an agreement. Despite months of negotiations, the German company couldn't commit to delivering the engines on time, even after diplomatic intervention.