The Infantry School is the Alma Mater of the Infantry (Photo: Adgpi)
New Delhi: Zen Technologies, an IDDM-compliant indigenous defense technology company, has been awarded a major contract from the Ministry of Defence, totaling ₹120 crores to set up India's first Combat Training Node (CTN), at the Infantry School, Mhow in Madhya Pradesh.
The Combat Training Node comprises of 60+ simulators & solutions, for weapons training, drone drills and target systems for live firing ranges.
This procurement is a result of the dynamic and visionary policy on Simulation Framework crafted by the Ministry of Defence and released in September 2021. The framework recognized simulation-based training as a strategic priority for force modernization and cost-optimization.
Every infantry battle is inherently two-sided, dynamic, adversarial and intensely contested; however, force-on-force training is limited due to the impossibility of firing real bullets at opposing sides in training.
The CTN will comprise Live-Virtual-Constructive (LVC) training and live firing range solutions to deliver realistic, combat training. Infantry will be able to train for marksmanship, urban combat, CI/CT operations, counter-drone response and mission command with high fidelity in a compressed timeframe. With advanced AAR and analytics, the CTN will complement training, accelerate readiness and significantly reduce cost of training.
Commenting on the development, Ashok Atluri, Chairman and Managing Director, Zen Technologies, said, “India's first Combat Training Node isn't just about 60+ training simulators and solutions—it's proof that indigenous R&D can deliver world-class capability when policy supports it. Late Mr. Manohar Parrikar got it: companies with R&D DNA and combat-proven systems are national strategic assets, not just vendors.”
“The CTN will deliver what every defense procurement should: faster readiness, lower costs, and home-grown technology that gives India an edge. This is what Atmanirbhar Bharat looks like when you prioritize IP over just manufacturing. The CTN represents a shift in how India approaches defense training, from importing foreign systems to building battle tested indigenous capability that can be exported globally.”
“With rapid feedback cycles, companies like Zen can iterate based on operational lessons, something foreign vendors constrained by ITAR restrictions and commercial considerations simply cannot match.”
