DRDO's Kaveri project leaves India reliant on foreign engines
India has spent 40 years trying to build its own fighter jet engine, but it still relies on foreign technology.
The Kaveri project, proposed by DRDO's Gas Turbine Research Establishment (GTRE) in Bengaluru back in 1986, aimed to power the Tejas aircraft with an Indian-made engine.
When the Kaveri couldn't deliver enough thrust, India had to switch to U.S.-made General Electric engines instead.
Kaveri project shifts to drone engines
The Kaveri project is not dead: it has shifted focus to engines for drones and is exploring a more powerful Kaveri 2.0.
India is also talking with France's Safran and the U.K.'s Rolls-Royce about possible partnerships, though nothing is final yet.
For now, new fighter prototypes like the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft will keep using GE engines while India keeps pushing for self-reliance.