Problems with HESH being outdated, were discussed many times. It is just too easy to make a simple and cheap countermessure against it. I know that for many HE round with programmable fuze might be more expensive but the question is how much more expensive it will be? Especially that such HE round have just one element different from standard HE round, the programmable fuze + a needed modification to tank FCS, but that's all, after tanks recive their modifications, everything else becomes cheap, and additional benefits are clearly visible.
Besides this, Americans and Israelis having incredible experience with modern armored warfare, are working on HE with programmable fuze, the AMP and Kalanit, Americans even want to replace HEAT, MPAT, HEOR and Cannister ammunitions with one single AMP. Germans also have their DM11. Even Russians have their AINET systems with replaceable classic and programmable fuze for their HE ammo.
So we know where future is, and it should not be ignored only because HESH is known, cheap and simple.
So with inducting a smoothbore, India have more benefits than problems with such things like lack of money for such change, or initial problms with logistics. But IMHO it should be done now, not sometime in future and nobody knows when really. Lack in actions means that world will go forward, damn even Pakistanis and Chinese can go with programmable HE ammunition for their tanks by procuring or just copying AINET system. And that's the problem, for example infantry can hide from HESH behind a sand berm, or in a reinforced bunkers with simple steel spaced addon armor plates, these don't even need to be made from armor steel, but just simple and cheap one. While programmable HE gives here incredible advantages with airburst and delay fuze options.
