HAL to add second Shakti engine line as India boosts aero-engine capacity

The ₹218 crore production line at HAL's Koraput facility will cater to rising engine requirements for indigenous helicopter platforms, including Dhruv and Prachand

Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) is all set to establish a second production line for the Shakti engine at its Koraput facility in Odisha, as India moves to expand domestic propulsion capacity alongside a sharp increase in orders for indigenous military helicopters.

 

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is slated to lay the foundation stone for the new line on Tuesday. The new manufacturing facility will come up with an investment of ₹218 crore. Singh will also attend an event organised to mark the delivery of HAL Koraput's 2,000th aero-engine.

 

According to the Ministry of Defence (MoD), the new Shakti line will meet the rising requirements for indigenous helicopter platforms, including the Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) Dhruv and the Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) Prachand.

 

 

The requirement is expected to grow substantially following the MoD's ₹62,700 crore contracts with HAL for 156 Prachand helicopters — 66 for the Indian Air Force and 90 for the Army. Deliveries are scheduled to begin from the third year and continue over five years.

 

"The additional capacity will support the growing requirements of indigenous helicopter platforms, including the Dhruv and Prachand. The event will also mark nearly six decades of HAL Koraput’s contribution to India’s aerospace and defence manufacturing capabilities and operational readiness of the Armed Forces," the MoD said in a statement.

 

The government plans to achieve more than 65 per cent indigenous content during execution of the Prachand contract, with more than 250 domestic companies, predominantly MSMEs, involved in the programme. The LCH is designed for high-altitude operations above 5,000 metres.

 

The Shakti engine programme is an Indo-French joint initiative between HAL and Safran Helicopter Engines to develop and manufacture a new-generation engine for the country's military requirements. The second production facility will manufacture the Indian version of the Ardiden 1H1 turboshaft engine.

 

HAL's engine division at Koraput was established in April 1964 to manufacture R11-F2/F2S turbojet engines for the MiG-21FL under licence. It subsequently took up production of R25 engines for the MiG-21BIS and R29B engines for the MiG-27M, while developing overhaul capabilities for Soviet-origin engines. From 2007-08, the division also began manufacturing RD-33 Series 3 engines for the MiG-29.

 

A second engine facility was later established at Koraput for the AL-31FP engine used in the Su-30MKI fighter aircraft. Manufacturing of the engine began in 2004 under licence from Russia. HAL Koraput's role has since acquired renewed significance with major orders for the indigenous manufacture of Su-30MKI engines. The division has manufactured 2,000 engines and overhauled more than 7,700 aero-engines over the past five decades.

 

In September 2024, the Defence Ministry signed a ₹26,000 crore contract with HAL for 240 AL-31FP engines. The engines are to be manufactured at Koraput at a rate of 30 annually over eight years. Under the contract, the indigenous content will rise to 63 per cent by the end of the delivery programme, with an average indigenous content of more than 54 per cent.

 

HAL and Safran also signed a final contract in August this year through their joint venture, SAFHAL Helicopter Engines, for the design, development, manufacture, supply and lifecycle support of the Aravalli, a 3,500-4,000 shaft horsepower turboshaft engine.

 

Defence experts said manufacturing an engine under licence and progressively increasing its indigenous content is different from designing an aero-engine from the ground up.

 

India has had several indigenous propulsion programmes, but it still lacks the required expertise to develop a modern aero-engine with high-temperature materials, turbine technology, combustion systems and engine controls, besides testing and certification.

 

"The HAL-Safran Aravalli programme is expected to emerge as a crucial bridge between India's established experience in licensed and technology-assisted manufacturing and more substantive joint development," said N K Samal, a retired Indian Air Force official.

 

With the government setting its sights on transforming India from a buyer of defence equipment into a designer, developer and manufacturer of defence systems, the MoD said building indigenous aero-engine capability is a critical component of this vision, given the strategic importance and technological complexity of propulsion systems.

 

Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, Secretary (Defence Production) Sanjeev Kumar and Chairman-cum-Managing Director of HAL Ravi K will also attend the event.