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HAL turns to its past to navigate an uncertain future

HAL is leveraging its legacy and ramping up research & development to secure its place in India's evolving defence landscape

16 min read | Updated On : Sep 03 2025 | 11:33 AM IST
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Bhaswar KumarBhaswar Kumar
Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd Chairman and Managing Director D K Sunil with the indigenous light combat Tejas aircraft (Photo: HAL)

Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd Chairman and Managing Director D K Sunil with the indigenous light combat Tejas aircraft (Photo: HAL)

That a company is shaping its strategy by reaching back six decades, even as it competes to build what may be India’s most advanced combat aircraft, seems counterintuitive. In the 1960s, stealth was scarcely more than theory, and radar evasion meant hugging the ground and vanishing into clutter. That Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) would do so now — at a moment when its dominance in India’s defence industrial ecosystem is far from assured — only deepens the paradox. Yet this is precisely the path its leadership has chosen.  This comes amid mounting criticism of HAL, even as it continues

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Bhaswar Kumar

Bhaswar KumarBhaswar Kumar has over seven years of experience in journalism. He has written on India Inc, corporate governance, government policy, and economic data. Currently, he covers defence, security and geopolitics, focusing on defence procurement policies, defence and aerospace majors, and developments in India’s neighbourhood.

First Published: Sep 03 2025 | 11:32 AM IST

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Blueprint Defence Magazine Hindustan Aeronautical Ltd Tejas jet