BHUBANESWAR: In a major boost to the Atmanirbhar Bharat goals, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) has signed a contract with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for 240 AL-31FP aero-engines for Su-30MKI aircraft at a cost of over Rs 26,000 crore.
The contract was inked by the senior officials of MoD and HAL in the presence of Defence secretary Giridhar Aramane, secretary (defence production) Sanjeev Kumar and Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari in New Delhi on Monday.
These aero-engines will be manufactured by the Koraput division of HAL and are expected to fulfil the needs of the Indian Air Force to sustain the operational capability of the Su-30 fleet for the defence preparedness of the country. HAL would supply 30 aero-engines per annum as per the contractual delivery schedule. The supply of all 240 engines would be completed over a period of eight years.
During the manufacturing, HAL plans to take support from the country’s defence manufacturing ecosystem, involving MSMEs and public and private industries. By the end of the delivery programme, HAL would enhance the indigenisation content up to 63 per cent to achieve an average of over 54 per cent. This would also help increase the indigenous content of repair and overhaul tasks of the aero-engines.
BJD leader Bhrugu Baxipatra, who hails from undivided Koraput district, said it is a matter of great pride for the people of Koraput.
In a post on his X handle, Baxipatra said, “It’s a good opportunity for Koraput district. It will not only provide both direct and indirect employment to thousands of people but also make the district a manufacturing hub of aero-engines.”