Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) will significantly expand its engine production
capacity, raising annual output of AL-31FP engines for the Indian Air Force’s Su-
30MKI fleet from 30 to 50 units. At the same time, HAL will establish a second
production line for the Shakti helicopter engine at its Koraput division, which recently
crossed the milestone of manufacturing 2,000 engines.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, who attended the ceremony, announced that the
new Shakti line will be set up at a cost of ₹218 crore and will have the capacity to
produce up to 100 engines annually by 2028–29. The Shakti engine, co-developed
with French firm Safran, powers the Dhruv Advanced Light Helicopter, its armed
Rudra variant, and the Prachand Light Combat Helicopter. The expansion comes as
the armed forces prepare to induct 156 Prachands, ordered under contracts worth
₹62,700 crore in March 2025.
Meanwhile, HAL will invest ₹335 crore to raise AL-31FP engine production. The
Ministry of Defence had earlier signed a ₹26,000 crore contract with HAL in
September 2024 for 240 AL-31FP engines, of which 63 have already been delivered,
surpassing the two-year target.
The Koraput division has a long legacy of manufacturing engines for IAF fighters
including the MiG-21, MiG-27, MiG-29, and Su-30MKI, and has overhauled more
than 9,000 engines. Singh described aero-engines as the “heart” of an aircraft,
stressing that mastery of propulsion technology is vital for self-reliance in aerospace
and defence. He highlighted ongoing efforts to develop an indigenous high-thrust
engine for India’s fifth-generation Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA),
including a proposed ₹5,000 crore investment in testing facilities and raw material
indigenisation.
India’s propulsion challenge remains acute, with the DRDO-developed Kaveri engine
failing to meet thrust requirements for the Tejas fighter, leaving it dependent on
imported GE F404 engines. Delays in F404 deliveries have slowed Tejas Mk-1A
production. To address this, DRDO’s Gas Turbine Research Establishment has
proposed co-developing a 120kN-class engine with Safran for the AMCA, a project
worth nearly ₹60,000 crore that awaits clearance from the Cabinet Committee on
Security.
