On January 8, 2026, Larsen and Toubro (L&T) signed a contract with the Indian Army (IA), awarded by the Corps of Electronics and Mechanical Engineers (EME), to overhaul, upgrade and provide long-term support for the IA’s Pinaka Multi-Rocket Launcher Systems (MLRS).
Exam Hints:
- What? Contract signed For the overhaul, upgrade and long-term support of Pinaka MLRS
- Entities: L&T and Indian Army
- Model: Public-Private Partnership
- Pilot Phase: One Pinaka launcher and a Battery Command Post
- Significance: First large-scale OEM-led sustainment & modernization programme for frontline Indian artillery
- MoU Extension: IA & HDFC Bank
- Tenure: 3 years till 2029
About Overhaul and Upgrade of Pinaka MLRS:
Role of Entities: Under the contract, L&T will overhaul existing launchers, upgrade obsolete components, modernize command and control elements, provide lifecycle support, and quality assurance and training.
- L&T will act as technology partner and Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM), supplying modernized kits, engineering support, and validation and certification.
Implementation: Initially, a pilot overhaul of one Pinaka launcher and a Battery Command Post will be jointly undertaken with the 510 Army Base Workshop (ABW).
PPP Model: The cooperation strengthens the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model in India defense, improving the conduct of sustainment and upgrades of equipment.
Significance: The contract is one of the first large-scale OEM-led sustainment and modernization programmes for a frontline Indian artillery system.
Alignment: The partnership aligns with the Government of India (GoI)’s vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat (Self-Reliant India).
About Pinaka:
Designer: Pinaka is India’s indigenously developed Multi-Barrel Rocket Launcher (MBRL) system, designed by Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO), under the Ministry of Defence (MoD), and produced by Indian companies, including L&T, Tata, etc.
Induction: The Pinaka MLRS was inducted into service around 1998 and used operationally during Kargil conflict in 1999.
Capabilities: It is designed to deliver saturation fire, precision strikes and rapid long-range battlefield support, capable of firing a salvo of rockets in a very short time to devastate enemy troop concentrations, artillery positions, airfields, logistic hubs and command posts.
Features: Pinaka has a range of 40 kilometre (km) in its First Version Mark (Mk-I), 60-75 km in the second version of Mark (Mk-II) and extended-range variants, and over 90 km in advanced versions.
- Each launcher can fire 12 rockets in a single salvo to saturate a 1 square kilometre (sq km) area within seconds, using Global Positioning System (GPS)/ Inertial Navigation System (INS)-guided rockets for high accuracy.
Renewal of MoU between IA & HDFC Bank:
MoU: The IA and HDFC Bank have renewed their Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for three more years till 2029, with a primary focus on financial services and welfare benefits for Army personnel, retirees, and Agniveers.
Accident Cover: The MoU covers Personal Accident Insurance (PAI) cover of Rs.1 crore, which protects against accidental death or permanent disability.
- An additional Air Accident Insurance cover of Rs.1 crore for accidents during air travel
Support: It also includes Rs. 5 lakh support each for child education and girl child marriage to assist Army families.
Other services: HDFC bank provides tailored banking services, including loans, savings accounts, and digital banking facilities specifically designed for the Army community.
About Larsen and Toubro (L&T):
Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) – S.N. Subrahmanyan
Headquarters – Mumbai, Maharashtra
Establishment – 1938
