Indeed they are.The initial batch of 300 or so we bought in response to PA buying the T-80UD came with cast turret, Kontakt-5 ERA, no cross wind sensor,no Shtora-1,no AC and no Shtora laser receiver.The ones we are license producing at Avadi have welded turret and Kaktus Era and again without any crosswind sensor, AC and Shtora-1 System and laser receiver.
The T-72M's are probably the worst no ceramic composites insert in the armour, no radiation lining and inferior optics.We could have gone for T-72A's which are vastly superior to the T-72M's that we had and later maybe even the T-72B's with heavier frontal armour and Svir launching capability.Also as Prasun Gupta says the T-72M's turret was penetrated by the upgraded 105mm gun on the T-55 during trials when it was bidding with the AMX-40 and Chieftain 900.