India expands Shakti engine production for Dhruv, Prachand helicopters
HAL currently produces 80 Ardiden 1H1 Shakti engines annually at its Bengaluru facility, and the new production line will raise its annual capacity to 180 engines
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will inaugurate a second Shakti engine production line at Hindustan Aeronautics Limited's Koraput facility in Odisha on Tuesday. The new line aims to meet increasing engine demands for indigenous helicopters like the Dhruv and Prachand, as well as bolster the military's operational readiness. HAL currently manufactures 80 Shakti engines annually at Bengaluru, with the new line boosting annual production to 180 engines.
The Shakti engine, co-developed with French aerospace company Safran, represents a ₹218 crore investment. The facility has already delivered its 2,000th engine, the AL-31FP, powering the Sukhoi-30MKI. HAL has a contract for 240 aero-engines worth ₹26,000 crore for Su-30 fighters, with 30 AL-31FP engines set to be delivered from Koraput annually over eight years.
The IAF operates 260 Su-30s and will acquire 12 more to replace planes lost in accidents. HAL estimates around 900 engines will be required throughout the Su-30 fleet's lifetime. Building indigenous aero-engine capability is crucial for India's strategic goals and vision of self-reliance by 2047. Last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi emphasized the need for self-reliance in jet engines, highlighting a technology gap.
HAL is also negotiating joint production of F414 engines with GE Aerospace for the LCA Mk-2 programme and exploring partnerships with global engine makers like Safran and Rolls Royce.
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