India’s Combat Vehicles Research and Development Establishment (CVRDE) is working on a new 800-horsepower indigenous engine for future combat vehicles, including upcoming versions of the Zorawar Light Tank. 

Building on the success of its 600HP engine, this new powerpack aims to boost mobility, reliability, and self-reliance in India’s armoured vehicle fleet.

DRDO’s CVRDE Developing 800HP Engine for Combat Vehicles

The Combat Vehicles Research and Development Establishment (CVRDE), a leading DRDO lab, has started work on a new 800-horsepower (HP) indigenous engine. 

This comes after the success of its recently developed 600HP engine.

The new engine will be used in next-generation tracked combat vehicles weighing 25–30 tons, including future versions of the Zorawar Light Tank, which is being developed by DRDO and Larsen & Toubro (L&T).

To speed up the project, CVRDE has released a Request for Information (RFI) to involve Indian companies in the fabrication, assembly, and prototype transmission testing. 

CVRDE will still handle the core engine design and share complete subsystem drawings, but the RFI is an important step toward collaborative, fully Indian defence manufacturing.

The 800HP engine will have a fully automatic transmission, making it suitable for modern tracked vehicles that need high mobility, low maintenance, and strong reliability.

Right now, the Zorawar Light Tank prototype uses a Cummins 750HP engine, but the indigenous 800HP engine is planned to replace it in future production batches. 

L&T is expected to build 59 Zorawar tanks first, and then around 300 more in later phases. 

Having a homegrown powerpack will reduce dependence on foreign engines, lower long-term costs, and give India more control over future tank designs.

The 600HP engine has already completed ground trials, and durability testing is in progress. 

The 800HP version will use proven designs and technologies from the 600HP engine, which will make development faster and smoother.

Still, the new 800HP engine will need about three years of ground tests and vehicle integration trials before it’s ready for operational use. 

These tests will check its performance and reliability in tough conditions such as high-altitude areas and deserts, where the Zorawar is meant to operate.

Developing this 800HP engine in India is a big step in achieving self-reliance for armored vehicles which means less reliance on imports, quicker logistics, and more flexibility in designing future tanks.