NEW DELHI: State-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) on Friday appointed Ravi Kota as its 22nd Chairman and Managing Director, following the retirement of Dr D.K. Sunil.
Ravi Kota is widely known as HAL’s “LCA man” for his long association with the Tejas programme.
Kota was selected by the Public Enterprises Selection Board from a pool of eight candidates, including six internal HAL executives, before receiving Cabinet approval.
A mechanical engineering graduate with management training from IIM Ahmedabad and IAS Toulouse in France, Kota brings more than three decades of experience within HAL’s manufacturing and corporate structure.
He is widely known within defence and aerospace circles for his long association with the Tejas Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) programme. Earlier, Kota served as General Manager of HAL’s LCA division, where he was closely involved in production planning, programme execution and the operationalisation of the Tejas fleet for the Indian Air Force (IAF).
Kota was also associated with HAL’s execution of the 83-aircraft Tejas Mk1A contract signed in 2021, one of India’s largest indigenous military aviation orders. He was also involved in efforts to expand production capacity, increase private-sector participation and strengthen supply-chain integration.
However, HAL is yet to complete delivery of the IAF’s original 40-aircraft Tejas Mk1 order, with two Final Operational Clearance-standard trainer aircraft still pending.
At the same time, while five Tejas Mk1A aircraft are ready, deliveries have been delayed as the aircraft are yet to fully meet the IAF’s Air Staff Qualitative Requirements (ASQRs).
Kota takes charge at a time when HAL’s order book exceeds Rs. 1 lakh crore, with the company under pressure to improve production efficiency, bridge capability gaps and ensure timely execution across multiple programmes.