New Delhi: The Ministry of Defence has signed a Rs 26,000 crore contract with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for 240 AL-31FP aero engines to power Su-30MKI aircraft. The agreement was formalized on September 9, 2024, in New Delhi, in the presence of Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane and Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari.
Under this contract, HAL will manufacture the engines with increasing support from India’s defence manufacturing ecosystem, involving micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and public and private industries. By the end of the delivery programme, HAL aims to increase the indigenous content of the engines to 63%, contributing to the larger Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative.
The agreement also aims to increase the use of local resources for repairing and maintaining these aero engines, helping India become more self-reliant in defence manufacturing. This move is seen as a key step in reducing reliance on foreign suppliers and strengthening the country’s domestic defence industry.
