UPSC Prelims 2026 Q68: Su-30MKI, T-90 and Akula — Made in India?
Which of the following items of defence hardware is/are manufactured in India?
1. Su-30 MKI Fighter Jets
2. T-90 MK-III Tanks
3. Akula Class Submarine
- 1 and 2
- 1 and 3
- 1 only
- 2 only
Answer: (a) 1 and 2
Statement-wise explanation
- 1: correct — The Su-30MKI was designed by Russia's Sukhoi, but Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) builds it under licence at its Nashik division. HAL Nashik delivered its first Indian-built Su-30MKI in 2005 and went on to complete licence production of 222 aircraft. In December 2024 the Ministry of Defence ordered 12 more Su-30MKIs from HAL, to be built at Nashik. The engines for the fleet are made at HAL's Koraput division.
- 2: correct — The T-90 'Bhishma' main battle tank is built under Russian licence at the Heavy Vehicles Factory (HVF) in Avadi, Chennai. HVF is now run by the defence PSU Armoured Vehicles Nigam Limited (AVNL). The first T-90 assembled fully in India came out in 2009, and AVNL delivered the 1,000th Indian-made T-90 to the Army on 22 May 2026. The 'MK-III' suffix in the question does not change the core fact: India manufactures T-90 tanks.
- 3: incorrect — Akula-class (Project 971) nuclear-powered attack submarines are built in Russia. India has never built one. India leased one of them, the former Nerpa, and commissioned it as INS Chakra in 2012 on a 10-year lease. It went back to Russia in 2021. The nuclear submarines India builds itself are the Arihant-class ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs), made at Visakhapatnam.
How to eliminate
Statement 1 appears in two of the four options, so first decide on statements 2 and 3. Statement 3 can be ruled out with basic knowledge. Akula is a Russian submarine class, and India's link to it is through leasing (INS Chakra), not building. India's own nuclear submarine programme is the Arihant class. Once statement 3 is out, only the options '1 and 2' and '1 only' remain. The choice between them depends on one fact: the T-90 Bhishma is licence-built at HVF Avadi. Remember this pattern: a foreign-designed platform can still be 'manufactured in India' when it is licence-built here (Su-30MKI at HAL Nashik, T-90 at HVF Avadi). A leased or imported platform (Akula/INS Chakra) does not count. Don't be thrown by unfamiliar suffixes like 'MK-III'. They are distractors, so answer from the base platform.
Know more
Licence production, leasing and indigenous design
UPSC often asks whether a weapon system is 'made in India'. The answer depends on how India got it:
| Route | What it means | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Indigenous design and production | Designed and built in India | LCA Tejas (ADA/HAL), Arjun tank (DRDO, built at HVF Avadi), Arihant-class SSBN |
| Licence production | Foreign design, built in Indian factories under a transfer-of-technology deal | Su-30MKI (HAL Nashik), T-90 Bhishma (HVF Avadi, AVNL) |
| Lease | Foreign-built, operated by India for a fixed term, then returned | INS Chakra (Akula class, 2012–2021) |
| Direct import | Bought ready-made | Rafale jets |
Key factories to remember
- HAL Nashik: Su-30MKI production, and since October 2025 a Tejas Mk1A line.
- HAL Koraput: AL-31FP engines for the Su-30MKI. In 2024 the Cabinet Committee on Security cleared 240 more of these engines from HAL.
- HVF Avadi (AVNL): T-90 Bhishma, T-72 upgrades and the Arjun Mk-1A.
- Ship Building Centre, Visakhapatnam: Arihant-class nuclear submarines.
How far indigenisation has gone. Licence-built platforms become more Indian over time. Recent Su-30MKI orders carry about 62.6% indigenous content. The 1,000th T-90 is reported to be about 80% Indian by content, including an indigenous engine. The government pushes this further through Positive Indigenisation Lists, which ban imports of listed items after set dates, and through the Defence Industrial Corridors in Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.
Submarine classes to keep apart. Kilo (Sindhughosh) is Russian-built. Scorpène (Kalvari) is built at Mazagon Dock under French licence. Akula was leased. Arihant is indigenous.
In the news
Armoured Vehicles Nigam Limited delivered the 1,000th Indian-made T-90 tank on 22 May 2026, just before the exam. The question also fits the steady 2024–26 news on Su-30MKI orders from HAL and the Aatmanirbhar Bharat push in defence production.
NCERT Concepts to Revise
- Defence industrial corridor: Chennai, where the Avadi tank factory stands, is a node of the Tamil Nadu Defence Industrial Corridor, which links to where Indian defence hardware is built.