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.
HAL was originally set to execute the order over eight years, but enhanced capacity will enable it to accelerate deliveries. 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. 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. 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. 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 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. It has so far delivered 63 engines for the Sukhois, the defence ministry said. HAL is also negotiating with GE Aerospace for the joint production of F414 engines in India for the more advanced LCA Mk-2 programme.
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.
“Self-reliance in aero-engines is the foundation of India’s complete aerospace sovereignty,” he said. “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.
