In year 1972 India's land forces command formulated requirements for a new main battle tank, that will enter service with India's army. For that time India's industry had solid experience building British tanks "Vikkers" Mk.1 ("Vilijanta") and Soviet T-72M under license. Consequently in 1974 there was taken decision to develop new main battle tank by only Indian developers and to organize it's serial production in national plats. It's development project was called MBT-80 (Main Battle Tank of 80-ties).

Main battle tank's development process took lot of time and expenses. Only in 1984 there was publicly announced about it's first prototypes development and in 1985 there was shown first example of the new main battle tank. In 1988 there were built some tanks for developer's and polygon tests. At last in 1996 India's government made decision to begin tank's serial production on Avadi city tank building plant. New main battle tank got official name "Arjun". First industrial series in 100-200 tanks there were planned to built during 5 years and during maintenance in armored forces notice and correct them. Only after all there had to begin a full-scale serial production. Till the year 2000 there were planned to built 1 500 "Arjuns"

"Arjun" main battle tank has classical arrangement. It's design has external similarity to "Leopard 2" main battle tanks.

The hull and the turret has welded construction made from Indian developed multi-laid armor "kanhan" which is most likely one of the British "chobhem" armor variant. Frontal armor plate is placed with a great inclination level, providing additional defense. Hulls boards and the chassis part is covered with steel anti-cumulative screens. Projecting main battle tank there was considered to anthropometrical height of ordinary Indian solider what allowed to place optimally controllers and other internal devices.

"Arjun" is armored with stabilized in both planes 120-mm rifled gun. Main gun uses modular projectiles with armor-piercing, cumulative, High-Explosion - armor piercing, and High-Explosion fragmentation warheads. Main gun aiming and turret rotation devices are based on electro hydraulic devices. Gun is reloading manually by the loader, what significantly decreases rate of fire, reaching 6 shots per minute. Gun has maximum elevation range from -9º to +20º.

Main battle tank has joined, half automatic fire control system which main part is ballistic computer, provided by Spanish company "ENOSA". This system automatically considers such factors as external temperature, atmosphere pressure, wind speed and direction, projectiles temperature and other factors.

"Arjun" gunner use day sight with stabilized viewing field, thermo vision device (common with tank's commander), and laser rangefinder. Commander use panoramic battlefield observation sight.

It is claimed that "Arjuns" fire control system provides high fire accuracy. Hit probability when tank is moving is 90% what is a really great number.

Additional armament is likely to Soviet/Russian main battle tanks: 7.62-mm coaxial machine gun, and 12.7-mm anti aircraft machine gun, placed on the roof. Grenade launchers blocks are mounted from the both sides of the turret.

The main developing problem was to choose suitable engine as far as India's western regions are desert type, while northern are mostly alpine regions. In desert regions day temperature passes over +50ºC, while main battle tanks face engine ignition problem in alpine regions, where temperature is below 0ºC.

Indian designers were unable to develop their own reliable engine, suitable for the new main battle tank, so it is building with German "MTU" 838 KA 501 ten cylinder diesel engine. Diesel has turbocharger system, liquid cooling. It reaches 1 400 h.p. and provides almost 60-tone main battle tank high h.p. to weight ratio in 24h.p./t.

Hydromechanic transmission, including hydro transformer, and "Renk" planetary gear box, is blocked with engine. Gear box is mechanically switchable and provides four forward and two backward gears.

"Arjun's" suspension is hydro pneumatic. Seven bearing rolls and four supporting rolls are placed from the both sides of the hull. Tracks are made from steel, with rubber-metallic hinge, fitted with rubber pads.

Main battle tank ground pressure is quiet low (0.84 kg/cm²) what alongside with powerful engine provide high maneuverability and cross-country performance. "Arjun" manages 2.43 m wide trench, fords 1.4 m water obstacle without preparation. Main battle tank is fitted with Nuclear, Biological, Chemical protection system, automatic fire extinguishing system and radio equipment.

"Arjun" main battle tanks will replace old-dated main battle tanks "Vilijanta" and T-72M in India armed forces. Overall India's armed forces requirement is approximately 2 000 main battle tanks.