India stands to gain a lot from hosting the production of Russian T-14 "Armata" tanks on its territory. The cost of assembling it will be many times lower than purchasing the combat vehicle. This opinion was expressed by military expert Peter Suchiu in an article for The National Interest.
The expert recalled reports in the Indian media that Moscow had offered New Delhi to replace the outdated T-72s with T-14s. The potential deal also provides for the possibility of producing the "Armata" under license.
Moreover, Uralvagonzavod stated that they would allow New Delhi to adapt the tank to new requirements. This includes installing an Indian-made DATRAN-1500HP engine on the "Armata" instead of the Russian 12N360.
Suchiu asked a fair question: who would benefit more from this deal - Russia or India? The expert recalled that the Russian T-14 development program started in 2011. It was planned to produce more than 2,000 tanks by 2020. However, according to some estimates, less than two dozen T-14s had rolled off the assembly line by August 2025, he added.
If India decides to adopt the T-14, it could bring it the greatest benefit by reducing costs.
The estimated cost of the T-14, according to experts, is about 3-4 million dollars. But thanks to local production, costs will be halved.
The only reason India might refuse Russia's offer is the unproven effectiveness of the "Armata" in real combat.
Will India want to produce thousands of T-14s, only to find that in the event of a border conflict, cheap Pakistani and Chinese drones and ATGMs are capable of easily destroying this tank?
Read more on the topic:
India: Russia offered New Delhi to establish production of the latest T-14 "Armata" tank in India
New S-350 Vityaz and S-400 Triumf SAM systems enter the Russian army