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Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and Safran Helicopter Engines have signed the final contract to jointly design and develop the 3,500–4,000 shp (shaft horsepower) Aravalli turboshaft engine, marking a significant shift in India’s helicopter propulsion programme from licensed production to co-development of a high-power engine.
The engine, being developed through their 50:50 joint venture SAFHAL Helicopter Engines Pvt Ltd, is intended to power HAL’s 13-tonne Indian Multi-Role Helicopter (IMRH) and its naval variant, the Deck-Based Multi-Role Helicopter (DBMRH), according to HAL.
The contract covers the engine’s design, development, manufacture, supply and lifecycle support. SAFHAL will manufacture the engine at Tumakuru, Karnataka.
The programme is significant for HAL as it will give the company access to critical engine design and development capabilities. HAL engineers are expected to work alongside Safran engineers through the development cycle, including design, testing and certification.
“The program will provide HAL access to core engine technologies including the High Pressure Compressor, power turbine, fuel & oil systems components, accessory gearbox and engine external systems capabilities that are critical for developing future generations of indigenous aero-engines,” HAL said in its statement.
HAL and Safran describe the programme as the first joint development by Safran Helicopter Engines of an engine in this high-power class. For India, the programme is intended to build capabilities beyond the licensed manufacture of Safran-designed engines and provide a technological base for future indigenous helicopter propulsion programmes.
The Aravalli engine is named after the ancient Aravalli mountain range and is expected to be completed by 2032–33, according to HAL. The IMRH and DBMRH programmes, however, are still awaiting Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) and Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) approval.
“The signing of this contract marks a significant step forward in India’s pursuit of self-reliance in aero-engine technologies,” HAL Chairman and Managing Director Ravi K said. He said the programme would create the foundation for powering the next generation of Indian helicopter platforms while strengthening the domestic aerospace industrial base.
Safran Helicopter Engines CEO Cédric Goubet said the programme marked a new chapter in the company’s longstanding partnership with HAL and in the strategic aerospace relationship between France and India.
The partnership between HAL and Safran dates back several decades. Safran’s Artouste engines powered HAL’s Cheetah and Chetak helicopters, while the jointly developed Shakti engine family powers the Advanced Light Helicopter, Light Combat Helicopter and Light Utility Helicopter.
The Aravalli programme takes that relationship into a different phase, with the two companies jointly designing a high-power turboshaft engine for a new generation of medium-lift rotorcraft.
The engine could also have applications beyond military helicopters. HAL has identified potential future markets in offshore transportation, utility operations, and VVIP transport, while the programme is expected to expand India’s indigenous capability in helicopter engine maintenance, repair, and overhaul.
The wider industrial impact could extend to Indian suppliers involved in precision machining, castings and advanced aerospace materials, as well as engine testing and support.
For HAL, however, the larger strategic payoff lies in acquiring experience and intellectual property in the areas it develops jointly with Safran. The programme is expected to expose Indian engineers to international engine-design methodologies, testing practices and certification standards – capabilities that have remained among the most difficult areas of India’s effort to build an indigenous aero-engine ecosystem.
The Aravalli therefore represents more than an engine for the IMRH. It is an attempt to build, through a French-Indian partnership, the industrial and engineering base needed for India to move gradually towards independent design and development of high-power helicopter propulsion systems.
Team BharatShakti
