India and Russia have resolved a spat over Transfer of Technology (TOT) for the indigenous license production of T-90 MBT. Photo Credit: PIBJune 05, 2009, (Sawf News) - India and Russia have resolved a spat over Transfer of Technology (TOT) for the indigenous license production of T-90 MBT.
Russia will ship 50 T-90 kits to kick start the production using which the Indian Army hopes to raise another armored regiment by year-end.
"The 50 T-90 tanks would roll out soon this year, as part of the Transfer of Technology agreement," a top Defense Ministry official said on Friday.
"The indigenous production under technology transfer was part of the discussion that an Indian team led by Defense Secretary Vijay Singh had in Moscow this week," he added.
Under a $795 million dollar agreement inked in February 2001, Russia shipped 124 T-90 tanks to India off the shelf. Another 186 were to be supplied in semi-knocked-down condition for assembly in Avadi-based Heavy Vehicles Factory (HVF) near Chennai.
In a follow up TOT agreement signed in 2006, Russia agreed to transfer technology for the license production of 1,000 additional tanks in India through 2020.
However, Russia pussyfooted on the TOT part of the agreement and production never started, forcing India to resort to the outright purchase of an additional 330 tanks in November 2007 to cover a gap in its military capabilities.
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