[13] The Zorawar has been designed to have a high power-to-weight ratio along with substantial firepower, protection, surveillance and communication capabilities.

The Zorawar is tasked to provide versatility to execute operations in varying terrain against diverse threats and equipment profiles of its adversaries.

In 1962 Sino-Indian War, the Army deployed French-origin AMX-13 tanks in the Battle of Gurung Hill near Pangong Tso and also in Bomdila and Dirang in Arunachal Pradesh.

[19][17] The Ministry of Defence also issued a Request for Information (RFI) in 2009 for the requirement of 200 wheeled and 100 tracked light tanks.

[19][27] The project is named after General Zorawar Singh Kahluria, who led the 1841 Military Expedition to Mount Kailash and Lake Manasarovar during the Dogra–Tibetan War.

[28] The tank will be equipped with artificial intelligence, surveillance drones for enhanced situational awareness as well as loitering munitions.

The tank has active protection system as a shield against modern anti-armour weaponry along with add-on modular armor blocks.

The tank can launch anti-tank guided missiles from the main gun as well as a twin side-mounted launcher on the left side.

[8][29] It also features two Safran Paseo electro-optical systems for hunter-killer capabilities, thermal imaging and laser rangefinders.

[8][29] The Zorawar tank prototype utilises a Cummins VTA903E-T760 engine which generates a power output of 760 hp (570 kW).

[6][7][8] When sanctioned in April 2023, Zorawar was supposed to be powered by an 800 hp engine supplied by the German firm MTU, a subsidiary of Rolls-Royce.

[37] On 23 April 2021, the Ministry of Defence issued a Request for Information (RFI) to the industry for the requirement of 350 light tanks weighing about 25 t (55,000 lb) each.

[38][26] On 3 March 2022, the Government gave in-principle approval for indigenous design and development of the Indian Light Tank for mountain warfare.

[39][40][36] In September 2022, the Army finalised the General Staff Qualitative Requirements (GSQR) and approached the Ministry of Defence for the Acceptance of Necessity (AoN).

[47] In November 2023, it was reported that the prototype is in the final stages of manufacturing at L&T’s AM Naik Heavy Engineering Complex at Hazira, Gujarat and was expected to begin track trials by year-end.

[50] On September 13, 2024, DRDO successfully completed the Zorawar LT's preliminary automotive trials at Mahajan Field Firing Range near Bikaner.

[51] In the desert terrain during the field trials, the light tank performed exceptionally well, effectively achieving all of the targeted goals.

The user trials will take 12 to 18 months as the Army will test the tank's performance in summer, winter and high-altitude conditions.

The tank is also aimed to be amphibious for deployment in riverine regions, including the Pangong Tso in eastern Ladakh.

[60] As per a report in November 2024, the user trials by the Army in 2025 is to be followed by selection of 2 private companies for their prototype development based on Zorawar under the Futuristic Light Tank programme.