HAL to set up 2nd Shakti engine line in Koraput
HAL is setting up a second production line for its Shakti helicopter engine at the Koraput facility in Odisha, thanks to rising demand for homegrown military helicopters.
Built at an investment of ₹218 crore, this new line will help build more ALH Dhruv and LCH Prachand choppers.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is scheduled to lay the foundation stone for the new facility on Tuesday, which ties into a massive order for 156 Prachand helicopters worth ₹62,700 crore.
Deliveries are scheduled to start from the third year of the contract and continue over five years.
Safran partnership targets 65%+ indigenous content
The Koraput division has been making aircraft engines since 1964 and is already key to India's defense scene.
Adding the new Shakti engine line boosts local manufacturing and self-reliance, especially since the government is targeting more than 65% indigenous content during execution of the Prachand contract through an Indo-French partnership with Safran Helicopter Engines.
More than 250 Indian companies are expected to participate in the program, making this expansion not just about tech but also about supporting local industry and jobs.