India manufactured around 2,500 BMP-2 IFVs under Russian license.

India’s defense industry has produced about 2,500 BMP-2 infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs) under Russian license, a source in Russia’s Federal Service for Military and Technical Cooperation told TASS at the DefExpo 2020 international defense exhibition in the Indian city of Lucknow.

The Indian variant of the BMP-2 is called "Sarath"(Picture source: Army Recognition )

“In 1984, India was granted a license to produce 3,000 BMP-2 vehicles. According to our estimates, India has manufactured about 2,500 vehicles since the license transfer,” the source said. “We have received no requests for the purchase of an extra batch of BMP-2 vehicles,” the source added. In February 2017, India’s Defense Ministry said that it intended to purchase an additional batch of 149 BMP-2 IFVs. “Formally, the Indian partners can produce the missing quantity,” the source added.

BMP-2 "Sarath" ("Chariot of Victory"), Indian license-produced variant of the BMP-2, built by Ordnance Factory Medak. The first vehicle, assembled from components supplied by KBP, was ready in 1987. By 1999, about 90% of the complete vehicle and its associated systems were being produced in India. It was estimated that, by 2007, 1,250 vehicles had been built.

The BMP-2 infantry fighting vehicle is designed to enhance mobility, firepower and protection of mounted infantrymen on the battlefield under NBC (Nuclear, Biological and Chemical) attack. The BMP-2 is fitted with a two-man turret armed with a stabilized 30 mm cannon 2A42 and a 7.62 mm PKT coaxial machine gun. The BMP-2 is fully amphibious and propelled in the water by its tracks at a maximum speed of 7 km/h.

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