India’s aerospace propulsion journey is moving from licensed production of foreign engines towards joint development and, increasingly, indigenous engine design, with the expansion of Shakti helicopter engine production marking the latest milestone. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday inaugurated a second production line for Shakti engines at Hindustan Aeronautics Limited’s Koraput division, where the event also marked the production of the facility’s 2,000th aero-engine.
The Rs 218 crore production line is expected to become fully operational by 2028-29 and will have the capacity to manufacture up to 100 Shakti engines annually. The engines currently power indigenous helicopter platforms including the Advanced Light Helicopter Dhruv and Light Combat Helicopter Prachand, and are also intended for the upcoming Light Utility Helicopter.
