New Delhi, Feb. 2 -- "True sovereignty needs self-reliance in critical technologies," stated Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam. As the quote suggests, self-reliance and major breakthroughs in critical technology are essential today in military research and development. One such niche domain is the propulsion and transmission of the platform. Modern geopolitics and the monopoly over this domain have raised significant concerns in the Strategic Indian military programme. When it comes to land systems in particular, the majority of India's main battle tank fleet consists of thousands of T-72 and T-90 tanks that utilise Russian designed engines. Many of these engines are made under license in India, which allows for some industrial capacity, but it doesn'...