India is expanding production capacity for helicopter engines as Hindustan Aeronautics Limited sets up a second manufacturing line for the Shakti powerplant at its Koraput division in Odisha. The ₹218-crore facility is intended to support growing requirements for indigenous helicopters, including the Dhruv Advanced Light Helicopter and the Prachand helicopter. The Ministry of Defence confirmed the expansion as HAL's Koraput division prepared to mark the delivery of its 2,000th aero-engine on October 6.

Rajnath Singh, the defence minister of India, is attending the Koraput event along with Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, Defence Production Secretary Sanjeev Kumar and HAL chairman and managing director Ravi K. The government says stronger domestic aero-engine capability is central to reducing India's dependence on imported defence propulsion systems.

Prachand Helicopter Engine Capacity to Rise With Second Shakti Production Line

HAL currently manufactures around 80 Ardiden 1H1 Shakti engines annually at Bengaluru, according to officials cited by Hindustan Times. With the new Koraput line, total annual production capacity is expected to rise to approximately 180 engines. That is an increase of 100 engines a year, or about 125% over the existing stated annual capacity.

The capacity expansion is particularly important because India already has a large order book for the Prachand helicopter.

In March 2025, the Ministry of Defence signed contracts worth ₹62,700 crore, excluding taxes, with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited for 156 Light Combat Helicopters. Of these, 66 are for the Indian Air Force and 90 for the Indian Army. Deliveries are scheduled to begin from the third year of the contract and continue over the following five years.

Why India Needs More Shakti Engines

The Shakti engine is the Indian designation of the Ardiden 1H1 turboshaft developed jointly by HAL and French aerospace company Safran. Safran says the Ardiden 1H1 was designed for helicopters operating in demanding conditions and offers sustained performance in "hot and high" environments. That is particularly relevant for Indian military helicopters expected to operate in Himalayan and high-altitude regions.

The engine powers both the Dhruv family and the Light Combat Helicopter. Safran lists the Ardiden 1 family in the 1,400-to-2,000 shaft-horsepower class and says it uses dual-channel Full Authority Digital Engine Control. HAL's own specifications show that the Light Combat Helicopter uses two Shakti powerplants, each rated at 1,032 kW. That twin-engine configuration helps explain why the 156-aircraft order creates a substantial propulsion requirement. Each new combat helicopter requires two engines, before considering spare engines, replacements, maintenance requirements and demand from the wider Dhruv fleet.

156 Prachand Helicopters Create a Major Production Requirement

The 2025 contract represents one of India's largest indigenous helicopter procurement programmes.

The Ministry of Defence says the 156 aircraft will be divided between the two services:

• Indian Air Force: 66 helicopters
• Indian Army: 90 helicopters
• Total: 156 helicopters

The government expects indigenous content in the programme to eventually exceed 65%, with more than 250 domestic companies—mostly MSMEs—participating in the supply chain. The programme is expected to support more than 8,500 direct and indirect jobs.

The Prachand helicopter was specifically designed for high-altitude combat missions. Government information says it can operate at altitudes above 5,000 metres and is intended for roles including combat search and rescue, destruction of enemy air defences, counter-insurgency operations, high-altitude bunker attacks and support for ground forces. Its maximum take-off weight is about 5.8 tonnes, while HAL lists a maximum speed of 268 kmph, a range of 550 km and a service ceiling of 6.5 km.

What Makes Prachand Different From Dhruv?

The Dhruv and LCH programmes share significant technology, but they serve different roles. Dhruv is a multi-role utility helicopter that can be configured for transport, reconnaissance, medical evacuation and military support missions. Its armed Rudra variant adds weapons and combat systems. Prachand, by contrast, was designed specifically as a dedicated combat helicopter.

HAL says the aircraft features armour protection, a narrow fuselage, tandem seating for the pilot and co-pilot/gunner, reduced radar signature measures, night-attack capability and crashworthy landing gear. Its weapons configuration can include a 20mm gun, 70mm rockets, air-to-air missiles and air-to-ground missiles. Both platforms use the Shakti engine, allowing India's helicopter ecosystem to benefit from common propulsion technology across different military roles.

Rajnath Singh Marks Another HAL Koraput Milestone

The expansion comes alongside another significant achievement at HAL's Koraput division. The facility is marking production of its 2,000th aero-engine, with Rajnath Singh attending the October 6 programme. The Ministry of Defence says the milestone represents nearly six decades of contribution by the Koraput division to India's military aviation industry.

The division has manufactured several generations of engines associated with Indian military aircraft, including the R-11, R-25, R-29 and RD-33 families used by different MiG aircraft.

Its 2,000th engine is an AL-31FP, the powerplant used by India's Su-30MKI fighter fleet. Hindustan Times reports that the facility is separately working to fulfil a ₹26,000-crore contract for 240 AL-31FP engines, with HAL expected to supply 30 engines annually over eight years. The defence minister of India is therefore using the Koraput programme to highlight both fixed-wing fighter propulsion and the expansion of helicopter-engine manufacturing.

HAL's Aero-Engine Push Goes Beyond One Helicopter Programme

The second line also fits into a much wider effort by India to strengthen its domestic propulsion capabilities. India has long been able to manufacture military aircraft and helicopters, but aero-engines remain one of the most technologically challenging components of aviation manufacturing. The Ministry of Defence explicitly identified indigenous aero-engine capability as strategically important when announcing the Koraput event, saying the government wants India to progress from being primarily a buyer of defence systems towards becoming a designer, developer and manufacturer.

That objective has become more visible as engine supply problems have affected other aircraft programmes. For example, delays in deliveries of GE Aerospace F404 engines have affected the LCA Mk-1A fighter programme. India is separately negotiating arrangements involving the more powerful F414 engine for future fighter aircraft.

Helicopter propulsion presents a different picture because HAL has already spent years producing the Ardiden-derived engine domestically in cooperation with Safran. Safran said as far back as 2022 that HAL had produced more than 500 Shakti engines, with the engine already fitted to Dhruv and Rudra helicopters and selected for the LCH.

What the New Capacity Means for India's Armed Forces

The immediate operational argument for the expansion is straightforward. India needs enough engines to support:

• Existing Dhruv and Rudra fleets
• New Light Combat Helicopter production
• Spare-engine requirements
• Maintenance and overhaul cycles
• Future helicopter production increases

With 156 additional combat helicopters already under contract, propulsion capacity has to grow alongside airframe production. For Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, increasing stated annual Shakti capacity from 80 to 180 engines would significantly expand the industrial base supporting these programmes.

It also provides greater flexibility if orders for indigenous military helicopters increase in the future. The October 6 development is therefore about more than opening another manufacturing line. It links three major parts of India's defence-industrial strategy: a large domestic helicopter order, expansion of local propulsion manufacturing and a broader effort to reduce dependence on overseas engine supply chains.

With 156 LCH aircraft already ordered and the Dhruv family continuing to serve across the armed forces, India now needs engine production to keep pace with helicopter manufacturing. The ₹218-crore Koraput expansion is intended to provide precisely that capacity.