The ministry of defence on Friday signed a Rs 7,628.70 crore (Rs 76.28 billion) contract with Larsen & Toubro Limited for the procurement of 100 additional 155 mm/52 calibre K9 Vajra-T self-propelled tracked artillery guns for the Indian Army.
Announcing the contract, an MoD release stated that the procurement falls under the 'Buy (Indian) category', providing a further boost to the Centre's Aatmanirbhar Bharat' (self-reliant India) initiative.
The procurement of the latest batch of K9 Vajra-T guns will 'catalyse artillery modernisation' and 'enhance the Indian Army's overall operational readiness', said the MoD.
The guns will be manufactured under licence from South Korean defence major Hanwha Defense, extending an initial contract for 100 guns that has already been completed.
Friday's contract was signed by senior MoD officials and L&T representatives in the presence of defence secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh at South Block in New Delhi.
The MoD release did not specify the number of guns being procured under this contract.
However, sources confirmed that the contract is for five regiments, or 100 units, of K9 Vajra artillery guns.
The MoD described the K9 Vajra as a 'versatile artillery gun' with cross-country mobility that will enhance the army's firepower, enable deeper precision strikes, and bolster artillery capabilities across all terrains.
'The gun, equipped with cutting-edge technology, is capable of delivering long-range lethal fire with high accuracy and a higher rate of fire, and will be able to operate at sub-zero temperatures in high-altitude areas to its full potential," said the MoD.
A self-propelled tracked artillery gun is an armoured weapon system on tracks that can move across terrains and fire large-calibre shells.
The contract with L&T aligns with the ongoing push for self-reliance in defence.
According to a report by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence, made public on Tuesday, a total of 333 capital acquisition contracts were signed for the procurement of defence equipment for the army during the last five financial years (FY20 to FY24) and FY25 (up to September 2024).
Of these, 278 contracts -- accounting for approximately 88 per cent of the total contract value -- were signed with Indian vendors for capital procurement. Bhaswar Kumar/Business Standard