HAL Koraput / Rajnath Singh to Lay Foundation for Rs218-Crore Shakti Engine Facility in Koraput

Koraput, Oct 5: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will lay the foundation stone for a new Rs218-crore facility linked to the production of Shakti engines at Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. (HAL)’s Koraput division in Sunabeda on Tuesday, officials said on Monday.

According to the official sources, Singh will also inaugurate a function marking the delivery of the 2,000th aero-engine manufactured by the HAL Koraput division, according to an official statement.

Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi will also attend the event.

Second production line

The new facility will house a second production line for Shakti engines and is expected to augment HAL Koraput’s manufacturing capacity to meet the growing requirements of indigenous helicopter platforms, including the Dhruv Advanced Light Helicopter and Prachand Light Combat Helicopter.

The Shakti engine programme is a joint Indo-French initiative of HAL and Safran Helicopter Engines for the development and manufacture of turboshaft engines for India’s military requirements.

The expansion comes against the backdrop of the government’s push to reduce dependence on imported defence equipment and strengthen India’s capabilities as a designer, developer and manufacturer of defence systems.

Indigenous aero-engine capability is considered strategically important because propulsion systems are among the most complex and critical components of military platforms.

Six decades of HAL Koraput

Established in the 1960s, HAL’s Koraput division has played a key role in India’s military aviation manufacturing ecosystem. The facility initially focused on servicing engines of Soviet-origin aircraft and has since expanded into the manufacture, overhaul and maintenance of engines for modern combat aircraft.

The Sunabeda facility is also associated with the manufacture and overhaul of engines for the Sukhoi-30MKI fleet.

Singh is expected to reach Sunabeda on Tuesday afternoon after attending programmes at Hindustan Shipyard Ltd. in Visakhapatnam, where he is scheduled to inaugurate upgraded maritime infrastructure and participate in key shipbuilding-related events.
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Security tightened

Security arrangements have been tightened across Sunabeda ahead of the Defence Minister’s visit.

Koraput Superintendent of Police Rohit Verma said the routes leading to the venue had been thoroughly sanitised and necessary security measures put in place for the visit.