India's long effort to build an independent aerospace propulsion base has entered a new phase, with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) expanding production of the Shakti helicopter engine while simultaneously pursuing more advanced indigenous and jointly developed powerplants for future military rotorcraft, Times of India reported.

The latest milestone came at HAL's Koraput division in Odisha, where Defence Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated a second Shakti engine production line and marked the manufacture of the facility's 2,000th aero-engine.

Built at a cost of ₹218 crore, the new production line is expected to be fully operational by 2028-29 and capable of producing up to 100 Shakti engines annually.

The Shakti engine currently powers the Advanced Light Helicopter Dhruv, the armed Rudra variant and the Light Combat Helicopter Prachand. It is also intended for the forthcoming Light Utility Helicopter, making it one of the most important propulsion systems supporting India's indigenous helicopter fleet.

The expansion reflects a broader national objective of reducing dependence on foreign aerospace technologies by strengthening domestic capabilities in engine manufacturing, materials, testing and design.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh described the achievement as an important step in India's aerospace journey and urged HAL Koraput to evolve beyond a production facility into a comprehensive aerospace propulsion hub capable of supporting research, development and advanced manufacturing activities.

India's helicopter-engine capability has been built gradually over several decades.

The country's initial experience came through licensed production of foreign engines, including the Artouste-III B used on the Chetak and Cheetah helicopters and later the TM333 engine that powered the Cheetal. Although these projects did not involve indigenous core-engine design, they helped HAL develop critical manufacturing, overhaul and maintenance expertise.

The Shakti engine marked a significant advance from that model.

Derived from SAFRAN's Ardiden-1H1 and jointly developed by HAL and Safran, the engine was specifically adapted for India's demanding hot-and-high operational conditions. Its success demonstrated India's ability to move beyond simple licence manufacturing towards collaborative engine development.

The next major step is the Aravalli turboshaft engine, being developed jointly by HAL and Safran through their 50:50 SAFHAL joint venture.

Positioned in the 3,500-4,000 shaft horsepower class, Aravalli represents a substantial increase in power over current helicopter engines and is intended to equip the Indian Multi-Role Helicopter and the naval Deck-Based Multi-Role Helicopter.

A final development and production agreement for the Aravalli program was signed in August 2026, providing a path towards indigenous participation in a higher-performance engine category that has traditionally been dominated by foreign manufacturers.

Alongside the Aravalli effort, HAL's Aero Engine Research and Development Centre is pursuing the HTSE-1200 program, one of India's most ambitious indigenous helicopter-engine initiatives.

The HTSE-1200 is designed as a fully Indian-developed turboshaft engine for helicopters in the 3.5-6.5 ton class. Although the project remains in the development phase, it is widely viewed as an important building block in India's quest for independent helicopter-engine design capability.

India continues to support several foreign-origin engines as well, including the TM333 and the GE T700 used on Apache attack helicopters, though these engines are not produced domestically.

The latest developments also highlight the strategic importance of HAL's Koraput division, which was established in 1964 and has been central to India's military aviation propulsion ecosystem for more than six decades.

Over the years, the facility has manufactured and supported engines for frontline aircraft such as the MiG-21, MiG-27, MiG-29 and Su-30MKI, while overhauling more than 9,000 engines.

At the same event, Singh announced an additional investment of ₹335 crore to increase annual production capacity of AL-31FP engines for the Su-30MKI fleet from 30 to 50 units.

HAL received an order for 240 AL-31FP engines in 2024 and has already delivered 63 units. The company also exceeded its second-year production target of 60 engines despite ongoing supply-chain and raw-material challenges.

The Defence Minister stressed that propulsion technology remains the most critical and complex element of any aerospace platform, describing the aero-engine as the heart of an aircraft. He argued that advances in airframes, avionics, radars and weapon systems can only be fully exploited when supported by reliable domestic propulsion systems.

To achieve that objective, India is seeking to strengthen capabilities in superalloys, advanced metallurgy, thermal management technologies, precision manufacturing, testing infrastructure and quality assurance processes.

These efforts have direct relevance to future projects such as the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft, where indigenous propulsion capability remains a major strategic requirement.

The government's broader roadmap includes collaboration with MIDHANI for indigenous raw-material development and the creation of India's first indigenous high-thrust aero-engine testing facility.

Together, the Shakti expansion, Aravalli development effort and HTSE-1200 program illustrate how India's aerospace sector is steadily progressing from licensed engine production towards participation in design, development, testing, manufacturing and lifecycle support of advanced propulsion systems.

While significant technological challenges remain, the transition from manufacturing foreign-origin engines to creating increasingly indigenous propulsion solutions represents one of the most important aspects of India's long-term defence-industrial strategy.

Agencies