The Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), which has been caught in a political crossfire over the controversial Rafale deal, has clarified that there is no shortage of work in the DPSU.

HAL Chairman and Managing Director R Madhavan confirmed that there was no shortage of work. 

“HAL has an order book of Rs 64,000 crore as of today. We like to have a better order book position, but it is not bad.

We do not have any shortage of work and in the next six months, we expect to get fresh orders,” Madhavan said.

HAL Chairman and Managing Director R Madhavan
‘HAL is not facing any shortage of work’
Madhavan said the PSU expects to bag an order to make 83 LCA Mark-1A aircraft, along with an order for 15 Light Combat Helicopter (LCH). HAL also has a running order to make Sukhoi-30MKI engines.

The Congress has been accusing the NDA government of snatching the Rafale deal from HAL. Some unions of HAL have said it stares at an existential crisis as the deal to manufacture the Rafale aircraft was taken away.

But, Madhavan said there would be some shortage of work when the Sukhoi-30MKI aircraft production line in Nashik comes to an end after next year. “The place is not going to be shut down, as some people have speculated. Yes, there will be shortage of work when the when the Sukhoi-30MKI aircraft production line in Nashik comes to an end after next year along with the aircraft facility in Bangalore. But, we will cover it with the LCA production,” Madhavan said.

On the Rafale deal, he said it was one of the many projects for HAL and that the decision to procure 36 Rafale from Dassault Aviation was a direct purchase by the government and that he could not comment on it. He said the unions that met Congress president Rahul Gandhi during his Bangalore visit, were not recognised by HAL.