Overview
- HAL Koraput delivered its 2,000th aero‑engine on Tuesday, and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh laid the foundation stone for a second Shakti turboshaft production line at Sunabeda.
- The government approved a ₹218 crore Shakti line to add up to 100 helicopter engines a year by 2028–29 and a ₹335 crore upgrade to raise AL‑31FP fighter‑engine output from 30 to 50 units annually.
- Officials outlined a proposed ₹5,000 crore programme to develop an indigenous high‑thrust engine for the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) and plans for India’s first domestic high‑thrust engine test facility plus raw‑material indigenisation with MIDHANI.
- The capacity increases are intended to accelerate deliveries under a 2024 MoD order for 240 AL‑31FP engines and to meet growing demand from recent helicopter contracts, which should shorten repair cycles and reduce import dependence.
- Koraput, which has overhauled more than 9,000 engines since 1964, will be promoted as a wider propulsion ecosystem that integrates HAL, MSMEs, industry, research centres and Odisha’s industrial assets to sustain long‑term engine design and manufacturing capability.