New Delhi: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will on October 6 mark the delivery of HAL Koraput’s 2,000th aero-engine, as the Odisha facility also moves to expand Shakti engine production with a second production line backed by a ₹218-crore investment. The milestone highlights the Koraput Division’s nearly six-decade role in India’s military aerospace manufacturing and engine-support ecosystem.
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The new Shakti production line is intended to meet the growing requirements of India’s indigenous helicopter programmes, including the Dhruv Advanced Light Helicopter and Prachand Light Combat Helicopter. The Shakti engine is produced through the India-France collaboration between HAL and Safran Helicopter Engines and powers these helicopter platforms.
HAL’s Koraput Division was established in 1964 to manufacture R11-F2/F2S turbojet engines for MiG-21FL aircraft. Its activities subsequently expanded to engines for the MiG-21bis, MiG-27 and MiG-29, along with extensive engine overhaul capabilities. HAL says the division has also developed capabilities covering aero-engine manufacturing from the raw-material stage through its forge and foundry facilities.
The facility is also central to India’s effort to strengthen domestic propulsion support for its combat fleet. In 2024, the Defence Ministry signed a ₹26,000-crore contract with HAL for 240 AL-31FP engines for the Su-30MKI, all to be manufactured at Koraput. HAL is scheduled to supply 30 engines annually, with indigenous content planned to rise to 63% by the end of the programme.
The October 6 milestone therefore goes beyond a numerical achievement. Alongside the expansion of Shakti production, it reflects the effort to build a larger domestic aerospace-engine manufacturing and support base—an area that remains strategically important because propulsion technology is critical to sustaining indigenous aircraft and helicopter programmes and reducing dependence on overseas supply chains.
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