New Delhi: India is on the cusp of its biggest transformation in mechanised warfare since the Soviet-era BMPs rolled into service in the 1980s. The centrepiece of this shift is the Future Infantry Combat Vehicle (FICV), a next-generation armoured platform designed to replace the Indian Army’s ageing BMP-2 and BMP-2K Sarath fleet with a modern, networked, heavily armed and survivable system. The Rs 60,000 crore programme is among the Indian Army’s largest “Make in India” modernisation efforts and aims to reshape mechanised infantry combat for the 21st century.
The FICV programme goes far beyond replacing old vehicles. It reflects India’s broader military pivot toward indigenous defence manufacturing, incorporating drone-enabled warfare, battlefield digitisation and high-mobility operations across deserts, plains, riverine sectors and high-altitude terrain. The Indian Army currently operates thousands of BMP-2 and BMP-2K Sarath Infantry Fighting Vehicles, platforms originally designed during the Cold War. While these vehicles have received incremental upgrades over the decades, they are increasingly seen as outdated against modern threats such as anti-tank guided missiles, loitering munitions, armed drones and precision artillery.
The FICV is envisioned as a heavily protected, mobile and technologically advanced tracked combat platform capable of transporting infantry into battle while providing substantial firepower and battlefield support. Unlike conventional armoured personnel carriers, an infantry combat vehicle is designed to fight alongside tanks and dismounted infantry during active combat operations. The proposed FICV is expected to weigh roughly 20 tonnes and be powered by a 600-horsepower engine. Despite its size and armour protection, it is expected to retain amphibious capability, enabling it to cross rivers and water obstacles without external support—an operational requirement critical to India’s diverse geography and potential combat theatres.
The vehicle is expected to carry a crew of three—commander, gunner and driver—while transporting up to eight fully equipped soldiers. Its primary armament is likely to include a 30mm autocannon, coaxial machine guns and anti-tank guided missiles. In keeping with evolving battlefield trends, the platform is also expected to support loitering munitions and drone integration. Protection is another major area of focus, with modern FICV concepts incorporating modular composite armour, mine protection systems and Active Protection Systems (APS) designed to intercept incoming projectiles before impact. This marks a substantial jump from older BMP designs, which have become increasingly vulnerable to modern anti-armour weapons.
The FICV programme traces its origins to the Krishna Rao Committee, established by the Indian government in 1975 to prepare a long-term perspective plan for the Army. The committee evaluated future battlefield requirements and stressed greater mechanisation and mobile firepower. As a result, the Mechanised Infantry Regiment was formally raised on April 2, 1979. BMP-1 vehicles were inducted initially, followed by BMP-2 Infantry Combat Vehicles by 1990. These vehicles significantly improved the Army’s offensive and defensive mobility and became central to Indian mechanised doctrine. However, the nature of warfare has changed dramatically since the Cold War, and the FICV is intended to bridge this technological gap and create a platform suitable for 21st-century warfare.
Meanwhile, on the diplomatic front, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar will host a Quad foreign ministers’ meeting in New Delhi on May 26, 2026, at Hyderabad House. The Quad—comprising the United States, India, Australia and Japan—last convened at the ministerial level on July 1, 2025, where it simplified its goals into four areas: maritime and transnational security, economic prosperity and security, humanitarian assistance and emergency responses, and the launch of the Quad Critical Minerals Initiative. The upcoming gathering comes amid rapid regional developments, including U.S.-Israel strikes on Iran and shifts in U.S. policy under the Donald Trump administration, raising questions about the grouping’s future direction.
During his four-day visit to India, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio faced persistent questions from journalists over President Trump’s social media posts referring to India as a “hellhole.” Rubio responded that such comments are “stupid stuff” and emphasised that the President “loves India” and “is a big fan of Prime Minister Modi.” The U.S. has invited Mr. Modi to visit Washington in the coming months, though any summit-level engagement would depend on the restoration of trust and the resolution of trade and immigration tensions. Prior to that, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to travel to France for the G7 outreach in June, followed by bilateral visits to Slovakia and several countries in the Asia-Pacific, including the BRICS Summit in Delhi in September.
The Quad ministers will also discuss whether to hold a leaders’ summit in India later this year or downgrade the grouping to regular foreign minister-level meetings, as was the case before 2021. This follows India’s difficulties in hosting the summit in 2024 and 2025. The ministers will also consider Australia’s upcoming chairmanship of the Quad and Mr. Modi’s travel schedule. Meanwhile, broader U.S. policy shifts—including indications of a more accommodating stance toward Beijing and reduced support for Taiwan—are expected to be points of discussion, potentially affecting the long-term future of the Indo-Pacific grouping established to counter Chinese actions in the region.
