Defence Minister Rajnath Singh made a major policy declaration in which he firmly said that the Indian government’s top priority is the development of aero-engines, highlighting the vital necessity of establishing domestic manufacturing capabilities through strategic international alliances. Singh underlined the government’s commitment to creating aero-engines locally through co-development and co-production models while maintaining complete intellectual property rights during his speech at an Air Force event honoring Marshal of the Indian Air Force Arjan Singh.
This strategic focus coincides with the recognition that, notwithstanding India’s advancements in defense technologies, the production of aero-engines continues to be a persistent challenge that demands sustained attention and resources. The drive for independence in this vital technology is consistent with India’s larger defense manufacturing “Atmanirbharta” program, which aims to lessen strategic vulnerabilities in a geopolitical context that is becoming more unstable.
Despite advancements in other defense areas, India’s pursuit of aero-engine self-reliance has been fraught with difficulties. While India has made significant strides in important fields like missile technology, submarines, aircraft carriers, artificial intelligence, drones, cyber defense, and hypersonic systems, the production of aero-engines is still a difficult task, as Defense Minister Rajnath Singh has stated clearly.
The development of the TEJAS MK-1A program, which has experienced delays partly due to problems with engine supplies from foreign manufacturers, is a prime example of this technology mismatch. The Indian Air Force’s reliance on foreign engines has put it at strategic risk and limited its operational capabilities, underscoring the urgent need to build up domestic skills in this vital area of technology.
Originally intended to power India’s fighter aircraft, the domestic Kaveri engine project has battled with performance restrictions, producing just 72kN of thrust as opposed to the necessary 82-90kN. A strategic dependency that affects India’s defense autonomy has resulted from these technical shortcomings, which have forced the country to continue depending on foreign engines for operational needs. Singh noted that despite these obstacles, the Kaveri engine project has advanced, with versions being created to power armed drones instead of fighter planes. While preserving the momentum of domestic development initiatives, this repurposing is a practical response to technical realities.
Certain ongoing procurement programs serve as an example of the extent of India’s existing reliance on foreign engines. In order to meet this significant order, GE Aerospace is increasing production after recently delivering the first of 99 F404-IN20 engines for the TEJAS MK-1A fighters to Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). With plans to acquire 97 more aircraft at an estimated cost of ₹67,000 crore, these engines are meant for the 83 MK-1A fighters that the Indian Air Force ordered in February 2021 for ₹48,000 crore. The significant financial investment required for these imported engines highlights the negative economic effects of technical dependence and serves as further justification for developing domestic production capacity.
The intricacy of aero-engine development is demonstrated by the Defence Research and Development Organization’s (DRDO) experience with the Kaveri engine program. It has been challenging to overcome the technical obstacles in developing high-performance jet engines that can satisfy military needs using only domestic resources. In addition to being a technical deficiency, the Kaveri engine project’s performance gap is a strategic constraint that impacts India’s aerospace aspirations. These challenges have led to a reassessment of India’s aero-engine development strategy, with a growing understanding that international cooperation can offer a more practical route forward than entirely domestic development initiatives.
India has deliberately shifted toward international cooperation as the best practical course for aero-engine development after realizing the shortcomings of entirely domestic development methods. The DRDO Chief has made it clear that working with foreign Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) is “the only way” to move forward, which represents a dramatic change in India’s strategy for obtaining this vital technology. This stance was reaffirmed by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, who said that the government is working to produce engines in India using co-development and co-production models while guaranteeing that India retains full ownership of the intellectual property. This strategy strikes a sensible compromise between utilizing global experience to speed up capability growth and maintaining technological autonomy.
In order to promote technology transfer and cooperative development, India is aggressively seeking alliances with a number of international aero-engine manufacturers. Singh acknowledged that talks to develop indigenous capabilities are still on with key foreign engine manufacturers, such as Safran (France), General Electric (United States), and Rolls Royce (United Kingdom). These possible collaborations provide a range of technical know-how and methodologies that could greatly improve India’s capacity for engine development. In line with the larger objectives of strategic autonomy, India’s strategic engagement with numerous foreign partners also gives it negotiation leverage and lessens its reliance on any one foreign supplier.
Through specialized programs designed to meet India’s short- and long-term needs, the co-development plan is being put into practice. India has chosen a two-pronged strategy for the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) program, with the AMCA MK-1 initially using GE’s F414 engine and subsequent iterations aiming to include an indigenous engine created through international cooperation. India can address its immediate operating needs and develop long-term domestic capabilities at the same time thanks to this tiered approach. The plan acknowledges that creating sophisticated technologies, such as aero-engines, calls for a transitional strategy that strikes a balance between present demands and long-term goals.
The preservation of complete intellectual property rights is a crucial component of the co-development policy that Defence Minister Singh has emphasized. Instead of just setting up licensed production facilities, India is determined to attain true technological self-reliance, as evidenced by its emphasis on intellectual property ownership. A mature approach to international cooperation is represented by the emphasis on acquiring intellectual property rights, which recognizes that true technical sovereignty necessitates not only manufacturing capacity but also design authority and the capacity to autonomously alter and enhance technology. India’s present co-development plan differs from previous license manufacturing arrangements that produced limited indigenous capabilities because of this approach.
India’s drive for aero-engine development is driven by a sense of urgency that stems from changing geopolitical conditions. Defence Minister Singh made it clear that India’s national security is directly impacted by “shifting geo-strategic equations” in a way that has never been seen before, generating new demands for technological independence. In particular, he pointed out that the 20th-century cross-Atlantic power dynamics had moved toward Asia, bringing strategic rivalries closer to India’s boundaries. According to this assessment, India’s strategic environment has grown more difficult, necessitating increased domestic defense capabilities in order to preserve strategic autonomy in a region that is becoming more and more contested.
India’s aerospace capabilities are particularly impacted by the Indo-Pacific region’s rise to prominence as the world’s most strategically significant region. This geopolitical change “has a direct relation with our national security,” Singh emphasized, requiring strong domestic defense technologies. Self-reliance in vital technologies like aero-engines is crucial to India’s ability to project aerospace power as a major security provider in the Indian Ocean Region and a preferred diplomatic partner for Southeast Asian countries. The nation’s involvement in the three areas of particular concern—the Southern African region, the Indonesian Archipelago, and the Northwest Indian Ocean region—requires consistent aerial capabilities that are impossible to sustain through reliance on imports.
India’s ambitions for aero-engine development are made even more urgent by the competitive dynamics with China. Reducing reliance on foreign defense systems is strategically necessary, as seen by the growing tensions along the Line of Actual Control (LAC). China has improved its military capabilities in the area by building roads, air bases, and logistical hubs along the disputed boundary at a rapid pace. India must offset these asymmetric advantages with its own capabilities. A strategic weakness that might make it more difficult for India to adequately address the threats to regional security posed by China’s expanding military might is the technological disparity in the production of aviation engines.
India’s drive for aero-engine development is heavily influenced by economic factors in addition to military ones. The need for strategic investments in high-technology areas is underscored by recent economic data indicating that India’s GDP growth slowed to 5.4% in the third quarter of 2024, as well as IMF projections of ongoing economic troubles. The potential financial advantages of establishing sophisticated aerospace manufacturing skills are highlighted by former economic adviser Arvind Subramaniam’s assessment that India’s political leadership lacks ideas for long-term growth and job creation. Strategic security requirements and economic development objectives might be aligned with the creation of an indigenous aero-engine industry, which could lead to the creation of highly skilled jobs and technical spillovers that benefit the entire economy.
In order to achieve self-reliance in aero-engine technology, India is implementing a phased, meticulously planned strategy. The Indian Air Force has established a clear long-term objective for attaining complete self-reliance in aerospace manufacture by setting the ambitious aim of having its entire fleet built domestically by 2047. This timeline recognizes that it takes decades of consistent work to go from reliance on imports to domestic manufacturing, especially for complicated systems like aero-engines. The blueprint calls for short-term cooperation with foreign partners while gradually boosting domestic capabilities and content in subsequent development initiatives.
Certain engine and aircraft programs are included in the implementation strategy as stepping stones to increased independence. A number of programs, like as the Light Combat Aircraft Tejas, Advanced Light Helicopter Dhruv, Light Utility Helicopter Prachand, and missile systems like Akash and BrahMos, were cited by Defence Minister Singh as “shining examples” of Indian capacity. These initiatives show expanding domestic capabilities in a range of aerospace fields, laying the groundwork for further ambitious advancements in aero-engine technology. The expertise acquired through these initiatives contributes to the creation of the technological ecosystem—which includes advanced production methods, specialized materials science, and advanced testing capabilities—necessary for engine development success.
The government’s strategy acknowledges that software-based technologies are gradually replacing or supplementing hardware-based warfare systems. Singh emphasized the necessity for complete technology capabilities beyond mechanical systems when he stated that “warfare will also depend more on software-based systems” in the future. This evaluation recognizes how aircraft technology is evolving and how advanced electronic controls, diagnostics, and power management systems are becoming more and more important to engine performance. Thus, as part of a comprehensive approach to technical self-reliance, India’s aero-engine development strategy includes not just mechanical engineering but also the digital technologies that support contemporary propulsion systems.
There are still major implementation obstacles in spite of the strategy clarity and dedication to aero-engine development. Delays in the Light Combat Aircraft development have affected the larger self-reliance effort. These delays are caused by a number of things, such as coordination problems amongst several parties, industrial capacity constraints, and technical difficulties. Important lessons for the aero-engine development endeavor can be learned from the LCA program’s experience, which emphasizes the challenges of moving complex aerospace systems from development to serial production. In addition to technological fixes, organizational enhancements and calculated industrial policy changes are needed to address these implementation issues.
An essential part of India’s larger plan to attain significant defense technology self-reliance is the country’s emphasis on aero-engine development. The clear designation of this domain as a “priority area” by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh recognizes both its strategic significance and the formidable obstacles that must be surmounted in order to develop indigenous capabilities. The government’s strategy strikes a compromise between the realistic understanding that international cooperation offers the best practical way ahead in the short term and the aspirational aim of total technological autonomy. This well-rounded approach has the potential to speed up capability development while gradually constructing domestic infrastructure and knowledge.
India’s co-development and co-production model, which goes beyond license production to include genuine knowledge transfer with intellectual property rights, is a progression of its approach to technology acquisition. This improved strategy directly addresses previous shortcomings in reaching true self-reliance, when reliance on outside vendors persisted even when imported components were assembled domestically. The focus on complete intellectual property rights lays the groundwork for long-term domestic capabilities that can develop to satisfy future demands through homegrown innovation as opposed to ongoing reliance on outside sources.
In the end, successful execution in the technical, industrial, and policy domains will determine the outcome of India’s aero-engine development program. Defence Minister Singh’s strategic direction clarifies government priorities, but converting them into operational capabilities calls for consistent resource commitment, efficient stakeholder coordination, and a realistic assessment of technological obstacles. The government’s acknowledgment that the development of aero-engines is a particularly tough field shows a sober awareness of the challenges that lie ahead, which lays the groundwork for practical planning and execution. This combination of strategic clarity and practical implementation offers the best chance for significant advancement toward true technological self-reliance in this crucial area as India negotiates the challenging path toward aero-engine development competence.
