A Lot better design, Arjun is not amphibious and Kestral is not tracked, FICV is far away ..
The system is being modified to adapt BMP chassis ' specifically ' ..
The "amphibious" requirement is rather pointless IMO because the NAMICA is meant to go with the armoured columns is it not? And they are made up of T-90/Arjun MBTs which aren't amphibious either so NAMICAs are hardly going to go alone, they will stick with the rest of the armoured columns. Addtionally, I've never bought the need for ampibious vehicle for the IA (aside from the specifc amphibious brigade meant to operate from IN landing vessels).
The logic, we are told, is that they will be used to cross rivers in Pakistani Punjab, has this ever seemed like a sensible idea to anyone? As I have said, the MBTs are not amphibious so are the IFVs going to go ahead of the MBTs in direct contradiction of all established blitzkreig tactics? And not only that but do you know how slowly those BMPs would be when crossing a water body? Painfully slowly. All whilst being an easy target for the enemy.
All that you need to negate this is to have BTTs as part of the IBGs (which is what I understand is the point of the IBG- to be a fully self contained fighting force).
Alas, I don't buy that this system can't be put onto another platform, it simply doesn't make sense to have designed it only to be able to fit onto a BMP, if it can fit on there it can fit on almost anything. The system will be modular and it won't be difficult to mate it to a new, more powerful and protected, chassis.
It doesn't matter if the new chassis would be heavier than the BMP (almost anything these days would be) as the NAMICA only needs to be able to keep up with the slowest/heaviest MBT- that is the entire logic behind the IBGs and CSD. There is no point in looking at this system/vehicle in isolation but have to understand how it fits operationally into the IA. It will never be operating independantly.
What is wrong with that Chasis?
There is nothing wrong with this vehicle.
Everyone knows the BMP suffers from survivability issues- it is incredibly thin skinned and ill-suited for modern warefare. The only saving grace is that Pakistan is a rather weak enemy but give them another 10 years and the BMP will be inferior by their standards. This is a >40 year old design, of course it is not going to be as good as its contemporaries.
Against any other enemy the BMPs would be liabilites today, they are death traps.
If Indian army is waiting for some divine weapons, then it will be a very long wait. Everybody works with improving designs that they already have in production.
I'm not saying don't induct it as is. Do but when better options present themselves transfer the turrets over to them.