HAL to widen private role in aerospace ecosystem as Tejas engine delays persist
HAL is expanding private participation in aerospace manufacturing while managing Tejas engine delays and preparing a Friday handover of trainers and Dhruv NG helicopters.
Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) is widening its reliance on private industry to build a domestic aerospace supply chain, its Chairman and Managing Director, Ravi K., said, noting that the state-owned manufacturer cannot develop and produce every component on its own.
Speaking at HAL's headquarters, Mr. Ravi said the rising number of aerospace programmes and products made greater private participation necessary. "HAL cannot do everything on its own. An ecosystem has to be developed because so many products are coming up," he said.
The company has already outsourced major structural components to private vendors, including MSMEs and start-ups, while keeping core integration and assembly work in-house. The approach is intended to build a dependable indigenous supply chain for aerospace manufacturing.
Tejas deliveries hinge on engines
On delays in delivering the light combat aircraft (LCA) Tejas Mk1 to the Indian Air Force, Mr. Ravi said HAL is in talks with GE Aerospace, the original equipment manufacturer, over engine supplies. He said HAL has 10 engines in hand and is preparing airframes so that aircraft can be completed once engines arrive.
According to Mr. Ravi, 25 Tejas airframes are ready. He expressed hope that GE would resolve its issues and deliver the remaining engines, but declined to commit to a delivery timeline for the rest of the aircraft, describing the process as iterative. "I am not promising any timeline. I have my own internal timeline," he said.
F414 proposal awaited
For the GE F414 engine planned for the LCA Mk2, Mr. Ravi said all technical issues have been settled and HAL is awaiting a commercial proposal from GE, which had earlier indicated it would need about three months to submit one. He said something should come by October, though the project's size could push it back by a month or two.
HAL also hopes to receive Acceptance of Necessity clearance from the Ministry of Defence, which would allow it to move towards signing the contract with GE.
Certification and handover
Mr. Ravi said HAL has, for the first time, received dual certification for its Dhruv Next Generation helicopters, allowing it to pursue both military and civil platforms.
On Friday, HAL will hand over the LCA Tejas Final Operational Clearance twin-seater trainer and the HTT-40 basic trainer to the Indian Air Force, along with Dhruv NG helicopters to Pawan Hans Limited, at an event in Bengaluru. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Civil Aviation Minister K. Rammohan Naidu are expected to attend, along with aerospace and defence stakeholders.
The handover is expected to highlight HAL's design, development and manufacturing capabilities, the role of its industry partners, and efforts to reduce dependence on foreign sources.