HAL looks to build light helicopters to develop medium chopper expertise

The second and concluding part of the series on India's indigenous aerospace industry traces HAL's strategy to retain its position as the country's top-performing defence PSU

Since the early-1960s, by designing and building the HF-24 Marut and assembling MiG-21 fighters from Soviet blueprints, Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) has built a healthy income stream from fixed-wing combat aircraft.

Now, with the income stream from assembling Sukhoi-30MKI fighters running dry, HAL is looking towards building helicopters to retain its position as India’s top performing defence public sector undertaking (DPSU).

HAL chief CB Ananthakrishnan, briefing Business Standard on an exclusive visit to HAL, says more than 320 Dhruv advanced light helicopters (ALHs) have been delivered to the Army, Navy and Indian Air Force (IAF).

Prachanda LCH