Rajnath Singh Lays Foundation Stone for Rs 218-Crore Shakti Engine Facility

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday laid the foundation stone for a Rs 218-crore facility linked to the Shakti engine programme at Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd’s (HAL) Koraput division in Sunabeda, marking a significant step towards strengthening India’s domestic military propulsion capabilities.

The new facility will establish a second production line for Shakti engines, increasing manufacturing capacity to meet the growing requirements of indigenous helicopters, including the Dhruv Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) and Prachand Light Combat Helicopter (LCH). HAL currently produces around 80 Shakti engines annually, while the new line is expected to raise the overall capacity to about 180 engines a year.

The Shakti engine programme is a joint Indo-French initiative between HAL and Safran Helicopter Engines to develop and manufacture turboshaft engines for India’s military requirements. The expansion is expected to improve engine availability for indigenous helicopter programmes and support their production and operational readiness.

The project also assumes importance for India’s broader effort to strengthen self-reliance in defence manufacturing. Indigenous production of critical propulsion systems can help build domestic manufacturing, maintenance and engineering capabilities and reduce dependence on overseas supply chains. However, experts note that manufacturing engines with technology support is different from independently designing an advanced aero-engine from the ground up, an area where India continues to develop expertise.

Singh’s visit also coincided with the delivery of HAL Koraput’s 2,000th aero-engine, marking nearly six decades of the division’s contribution to India’s aerospace and defence manufacturing sector. The milestone engine is an AL-31FP, which powers the Sukhoi-30MKI fighter aircraft.

Established in the 1960s, HAL Koraput has evolved from servicing Soviet-origin aircraft engines to manufacturing, overhauling and maintaining engines for modern military platforms. The division has also taken on a growing role in Su-30MKI engine production.

Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi and senior defence officials attended the event. The development underlines the government’s stated objective of moving India from a defence equipment buyer towards a designer, developer and manufacturer of defence systems.