India pursuing programme to develop jet engine: Rajnath

Defence minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday said the government is pursuing a programme to develop an indigenous high-thrust aero-engine with a proposed investment of around ₹5,000 crore, stressing that self-reliance in aerospace must extend to engine technology, particularly for the advanced medium combat aircraft (AMCA) programme.India News“Self-reliance in aero-engines is the foundation of India’s complete aerospace sovereignty,” he said. Singh made the remarks in Koraput, where he witnessed Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) deliver the 2,000th aero-engine --- the AL-31FP that powers the Sukhoi-30MKI.“Work underway on indigenous high-thrust engines, testing infrastructure, raw materials, and robust MRO (maintenance, repair and overhaul) capabilities is building a strong engine ecosystem in the country,” he said.Apart from announcing the ₹5,000-crore investment, Singh also emphasised the indigenisation of raw materials in partnership with Mishra Dhatu Nigam Limited (MIDHANI), as well as the establishment of India’s first indigenous high-thrust engine testing facility.Last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a strong case for building jet engines in the country, highlighting a stark technology gap and stressing that self-reliance will be central to India’s ambition of becoming a developed nation by 2047.With technology transfer from Russia, HAL’s Koraput division has produced the R-11, R-25, R-29 and RD-33 engines for different MiG variants, including the MiG-21, Mig-27 and MiG-29, operated by the Indian Air Force. The Su-30’s AL-31FP engine is also produced there.The construction of the 2,000th engine by HAL Koraput is a historic milestone in India’s aerospace journey, Singh said. “With the successful overhaul of more than 9,000 engines, this division continues to strengthen our aero-engine capability and the operational readiness of our armed forces.”Singh called for strengthening indigenous capabilities in the design, development, testing, manufacturing and maintenance of advanced aero-engines, stressing that mastery of propulsion technology is essential for self-reliance in the aerospace and defence sector.He also inaugurated a second production line for Shakti engines at Koraput, aimed at meeting the growing engine requirements of indigenous helicopters, including the Dhruv advanced light helicopter and Prachand light combat helicopter.HAL currently produces 80 Ardiden 1H1 Shakti engines annually at its Bengaluru facility, and the new production line will raise its annual capacity to 180 engines. The Shakti engine was co-developed with French aerospace major Safran. The second production line represents an investment of ₹218 crore.Singh announced that HAL is enhancing annual AL-31FP production capacity from 30 to 50 engines with an investment of ₹335 crore. Two years ago, the defence ministry signed a contract with HAL for 240 AL-31FP engines worth ₹26,000 crore for the Su-30 fighters. HAL was originally set to execute the order over eight years, but enhanced capacity will enable it to accelerate deliveries.The IAF operates a fleet of 260 Su-30s and will receive 12 additional fighters to make up for planes lost in accidents. HAL estimates that the air force will require around 900 engines over the Su-30 fleet’s lifetime.The engines are being built in Koraput from the raw material stage with technology transfer from Russia; only some spares, forgings and castings are being imported. It has so far delivered 63 engines for the Sukhois, the defence ministry said.The light combat aircraft (LCA Mk-1A) programme, crucial for the IAF to shore up its fighter fleet, is running behind schedule due to several reasons, including a delay in the supply of F404-IN20 engines by US firm GE Aerospace. HAL is also negotiating with GE Aerospace for the joint production of F414 engines in India for the more advanced LCA Mk-2 programme.India is also in talks with global engine makers such as Safran and Rolls Royce to build domestic capabilities.