India has taken a major step towards defence self-reliance with HAL and France's Safran Helicopter Engines signing the final contract for the development of the new-generation Aravalli helicopter engine. The 3,500-4,000 shaft horsepower engine will power India's upcoming 13-tonne Indian Multi-Role Helicopter (IMRH) and its naval variant. Developed through the SAFHAL joint venture on a 50:50 basis, the project marks the first time a high-power helicopter engine will be designed and developed in India. The agreement is expected to strengthen indigenous aerospace capabilities and boost India's defence manufacturing ecosystem.


HAL-Safran sign landmark deal for Aravalli engine to power India's next-gen military choppers

For many years India has built helicopters with real skill. The harder task has always been building the engine inside them. An aero engine is no ordinary part. It is the costliest and most closely guarded technology on any aircraft. That is why the fresh contract between Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, Safran Helicopter Engines, and their joint company, SAFHAL, is far more than a business announcement. It is a serious step towards designing a powerful helicopter engine on Indian soil.&nbsp;The engine is named Aravalli, after one of the oldest mountain ranges in the country. It belongs to the 3,500 to 4,000 shaft horsepower class, much stronger than the Shakti engines that today fly the Dhruv, Prachanda and Light Utility Helicopter. Aravalli will power two future HAL machines—the 13-ton Indian Multi-Role Helicopter, or IMRH, and its naval version, the Deck-Based Multi-Role Helicopter, or DBMRH. Both are twin-engine, so their success rests on this engine.&nbsp;Signed on 26 August 2026, the contract covers the engine’s full life—design, development, manufacture, supply, and long-term support. HAL’s Director of Engineering and R&amp;D, Ajay Kumar Shrivastava, and Olivier Savin of SAFHAL signed the papers before HAL Chairman and Managing Director Ravi K and Safran Helicopter Engines CEO Cédric Goubet.&nbsp;India has worked with Safran for decades—first the Artouste engines of the Cheetah and Chetak, later the Shakti family for lighter helicopters. Those programmes taught Indian industry to manufacture, assemble and support engines, but never handed over the hardest skill, the original design of a high-power engine. Aravalli aims to change that. Indian engineers will sit with French engineers through design, testing and certification, gaining depth in the high-pressure compressor, power turbine, fuel and oil systems, accessory gearbox and the systems that keep an engine alive in heat, dust, salt air and thin mountain air.&nbsp;Such learning cannot be bought from a catalogue; it must be earned on a real programme. Safran says this is the first time it is co-developing an engine of this power class—a shift from “you build what we designed” to “we design together.”&nbsp;The IMRH fills a serious gap. The Air Force still depends on ageing Russian-origin Mi-17 helicopters, which cannot fly forever. A 13-ton Indian helicopter carrying troops, lifting loads, climbing mountains and working in punishing heat is a national need. The Navy’s DBMRH faces a harder life—ship decks, salt spray, tight space and rough seas. If India imports both helicopter and engine, dependence continues for decades. If it builds only the body, the dependence simply shifts from one box to another.&nbsp;A civilian side exists too. This engine class can later serve offshore oil flights, utility work and VVIP travel. After production comes maintenance, repair and overhaul, where lasting jobs and real industrial strength are created.&nbsp;HAL is no silent partner. It designs both helicopters, holds a 50:50 share in SAFHAL, and must turn drawings into machines the forces can trust. Under Chairman and Managing Director Ravi K, HAL is trying to grow from a production house into a design house. That road is tougher, because production can be planned while design brings risk, delay, failed tests and patient money. Ravi K has framed Aravalli as a step towards self-reliance in aero-engine technology and a stronger Indian aerospace ecosystem. His clear focus on design capability gives the programme direction and seriousness.&nbsp;An engine succeeds only when many firms rise with it — alloy makers, casting units, precision machine shops, electronics companies, test facilities and repair workshops. Karnataka sits at the centre of this story. Programme information shared with industry says the Aravalli manufacturing set-up is expected at Tumakuru, where HAL already has a large helicopter base. If that plan holds, Tumakuru will not merely assemble airframes; it will work on compressors, turbines and test beds, giving young engineers in the state a chance to learn real engine technology.&nbsp;Think of an engine as a small factory needing special alloys, finely cut blades, gearboxes, pumps, sensors, software and test cells. A long programme creates steady demand, and demand pushes companies to invest. Aravalli helps in five clear ways. It gives private firms a reason to enter high-end engine work. It trains engineers through design reviews, failure analysis and certification. It builds repair capability at home and saves foreign exchange. It gives HAL ownership of what it designs. And it prepares a team that will not start from zero on the next engine India needs.&nbsp;None of this is automatic. Development work is expected to run into the early 2030s, and both helicopters still await full government clearance. Engine programmes usually take longer than first promised. Honestly seen, this contract is the starting gun, not the finish line.&nbsp;The idea is simple. A helicopter without a dependable engine is only a beautiful body, and India long built the body better than the heart. The Aravalli hills are old, strong and still standing. This journey will also be long, but with HAL under Ravi K’s leadership and a manufacturing base expected in Tumakuru, it can build lasting skills, companies and confidence that will help India for many years to come.

The engine is named Aravalli, after one of the oldest mountain ranges in the country. It belongs to the 3,500 to 4,000 shaft horsepower class, much stronger than the Shakti engines that today fly the Dhruv, Prachanda and Light Utility Helicopter.

For many years India has built helicopters with real skill. The harder task has always been building the engine inside them. An aero engine is no ordinary part. It is the costliest and most closely guarded technology on any aircraft. That is why the fresh contract between Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, Safran Helicopter Engines, and their joint company, SAFHAL, is far more than a business announcement. It is a serious step towards designing a powerful helicopter engine on Indian soil. The engine is named Aravalli, after one of the oldest mountain ranges in the country. It belongs to the 3,500 to 4,000 shaft horsepower class, much stronger than the Shakti engines that today fly the Dhruv, Prachanda and Light Utility Helicopter. Aravalli will power two future HAL machines—the 13-ton Indian Multi-Role Helicopter, or IMRH, and its naval version, the Deck-Based Multi-Role Helicopter, or DBMRH. Both are twin-engine, so their success rests on this engine. Signed on 26 August 2026, the contract covers the engine’s full life—design, development, manufacture, supply, and long-term support. HAL’s Director of Engineering and R&D, Ajay Kumar Shrivastava, and Olivier Savin of SAFHAL signed the papers before HAL Chairman and Managing Director Ravi K and Safran Helicopter Engines CEO Cédric Goubet. India has worked with Safran for decades—first the Artouste engines of the Cheetah and Chetak, later the Shakti family for lighter helicopters. Those programmes taught Indian industry to manufacture, assemble and support engines, but never handed over the hardest skill, the original design of a high-power engine. Aravalli aims to change that. Indian engineers will sit with French engineers through design, testing and certification, gaining depth in the high-pressure compressor, power turbine, fuel and oil systems, accessory gearbox and the systems that keep an engine alive in heat, dust, salt air and thin mountain air. Such learning cannot be bought from a catalogue; it must be earned on a real programme. Safran says this is the first time it is co-developing an engine of this power class—a shift from “you build what we designed” to “we design together.” The IMRH fills a serious gap. The Air Force still depends on ageing Russian-origin Mi-17 helicopters, which cannot fly forever. A 13-ton Indian helicopter carrying troops, lifting loads, climbing mountains and working in punishing heat is a national need. The Navy’s DBMRH faces a harder life—ship decks, salt spray, tight space and rough seas. If India imports both helicopter and engine, dependence continues for decades. If it builds only the body, the dependence simply shifts from one box to another. A civilian side exists too. This engine class can later serve offshore oil flights, utility work and VVIP travel. After production comes maintenance, repair and overhaul, where lasting jobs and real industrial strength are created. HAL is no silent partner. It designs both helicopters, holds a 50:50 share in SAFHAL, and must turn drawings into machines the forces can trust. Under Chairman and Managing Director Ravi K, HAL is trying to grow from a production house into a design house. That road is tougher, because production can be planned while design brings risk, delay, failed tests and patient money. Ravi K has framed Aravalli as a step towards self-reliance in aero-engine technology and a stronger Indian aerospace ecosystem. His clear focus on design capability gives the programme direction and seriousness. An engine succeeds only when many firms rise with it — alloy makers, casting units, precision machine shops, electronics companies, test facilities and repair workshops. Karnataka sits at the centre of this story. Programme information shared with industry says the Aravalli manufacturing set-up is expected at Tumakuru, where HAL already has a large helicopter base. If that plan holds, Tumakuru will not merely assemble airframes; it will work on compressors, turbines and test beds, giving young engineers in the state a chance to learn real engine technology. Think of an engine as a small factory needing special alloys, finely cut blades, gearboxes, pumps, sensors, software and test cells. A long programme creates steady demand, and demand pushes companies to invest. Aravalli helps in five clear ways. It gives private firms a reason to enter high-end engine work. It trains engineers through design reviews, failure analysis and certification. It builds repair capability at home and saves foreign exchange. It gives HAL ownership of what it designs. And it prepares a team that will not start from zero on the next engine India needs. None of this is automatic. Development work is expected to run into the early 2030s, and both helicopters still await full government clearance. Engine programmes usually take longer than first promised. Honestly seen, this contract is the starting gun, not the finish line. The idea is simple. A helicopter without a dependable engine is only a beautiful body, and India long built the body better than the heart. The Aravalli hills are old, strong and still standing. This journey will also be long, but with HAL under Ravi K’s leadership and a manufacturing base expected in Tumakuru, it can build lasting skills, companies and confidence that will help India for many years to come.

The engine is named Aravalli, after one of the oldest mountain ranges in the country. It belongs to the 3,500 to 4,000 shaft horsepower class, much stronger than the Shakti engines that today fly the Dhruv, Prachanda and Light Utility Helicopter.

Designing the beast: HAL and Safran unite to power India’s 13-ton copters

The jet engines will be developed in India under Indian IPR with Safran transferring 100% of the technology to DRDO, including crystal blade technology.



India-France Deal: France's Safran & DRDO to Jointly Develop Made-in-India Jet Engine | WION

After Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced making India's every sector, along with defence, a self-reliant one, the country is likely to approve the development of an indigenous 120 Kilo Newton engine, which will power India’s twin-engine Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) fighter. The project will be jointly designed and developed by French firm Safran S.A. and India's Gas Turbine Research Establishment (GTRE), a lab under the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), according to a report in HT.&nbsp;Earlier, India already had an initiative in the name of 'Kaveri engine project' for developing an engine indigenously to produce a high-thrust turbofan engine for the Tejas light combat aircraft (LCA) and other military platforms. The project was India's ambitious, long-term initiative, launched in the 1980s by the Gas Turbine Research Establishment (GTRE) under the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).<h3>Kaveri engine project failure</h3>The original Kaveri engine project was formally shut down and separated from the Tejas fighter jet program in 2008 after the engine continuously failed to meet the required thrust levels, experienced excessive weight, and suffered from technical challenges and sanctions post-1998. These shortcomings led to the adoption of Western GE engines for the Tejas and the reorientation of the Kaveri project into a new "Dry Kaveri" variant for unmanned aerial vehicles (UCAVs).&nbsp;Against this backdrop, the collaboration of India with France’s Safran has emerged as a potential game-changer. During French President Emmanuel Macron's visit to India in 2023, both nations advanced discussions on co-developing a new fighter jet engine. As per the Economic Times report, Safran has offered full technology transfer, a critical factor given India’s dependence on foreign suppliers like GE (United States) and Rolls-Royce (United Kingdom) for propulsion technology.<h3>France's Safran’s jet engine breakthrough</h3>According to a report in HT, within a time frame of 12 years, France's Safran-GTRE will develop nine prototypes of fighter engines, initially with 120 KN power, but it will go up in capacity to 140 KN by the end of the 12-year time period. These jet engines will be developed under Indian IPR, with Safran transferring 100% of the technology to DRDO.&nbsp;The interesting part of this engine is that the blades used in it are usually constructed from a single crystal using super-alloys, which are efficient, long-lasting. Its technology also copes better with higher heat and stress. The engine capacity lying between 120-140 KN will empower the twin-engine advanced multi-role aircraft (AMCA), which will be developed and produced by the Indian private sector with the Tata group, L&amp;T and Adani Defence for the national effort.&nbsp;Prime Minister Narendra Modi has emphasised the need for an indigenous aircraft engine, calling it a top-tier defence technology with major civilian applications. Currently, countries like the United States, Russia, the United Kingdom, and France have the ability to design, develop and manufacture such engines. But shockingly, even after having advanced technology, China still remain dependent on Russian-made or reverse-engineered engines for its frontline fighter jets.&nbsp;Currently, only the United States, Russia, the United Kingdom, and France possess the capability to design, develop, and manufacture such engines. Even China, despite its advances, still relies on Russian-made or reverse-engineered engines for its frontline fighter jets.&nbsp;For India, the design, development, and joint production of these engines would be a strategic game-changer, ensuring that the Indian Air Force is no longer dependent on any foreign country for fighter aircraft propulsion and power projection.

The project will be jointly designed and developed by French firm Safran S.A. and India's Gas Turbine Research Establishment (GTRE), a lab under the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).

After Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced making India's every sector, along with defence, a self-reliant one, the country is likely to approve the development of an indigenous 120 Kilo Newton engine, which will power India’s twin-engine Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) fighter. The project will be jointly designed and developed by French firm Safran S.A. and India's Gas Turbine Research Establishment (GTRE), a lab under the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), according to a report in HT. Earlier, India already had an initiative in the name of 'Kaveri engine project' for developing an engine indigenously to produce a high-thrust turbofan engine for the Tejas light combat aircraft (LCA) and other military platforms. The project was India's ambitious, long-term initiative, launched in the 1980s by the Gas Turbine Research Establishment (GTRE) under the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). Kaveri engine project failure The original Kaveri engine project was formally shut down and separated from the Tejas fighter jet program in 2008 after the engine continuously failed to meet the required thrust levels, experienced excessive weight, and suffered from technical challenges and sanctions post-1998. These shortcomings led to the adoption of Western GE engines for the Tejas and the reorientation of the Kaveri project into a new "Dry Kaveri" variant for unmanned aerial vehicles (UCAVs). Against this backdrop, the collaboration of India with France’s Safran has emerged as a potential game-changer. During French President Emmanuel Macron's visit to India in 2023, both nations advanced discussions on co-developing a new fighter jet engine. As per the Economic Times report, Safran has offered full technology transfer, a critical factor given India’s dependence on foreign suppliers like GE (United States) and Rolls-Royce (United Kingdom) for propulsion technology. France's Safran’s jet engine breakthrough According to a report in HT, within a time frame of 12 years, France's Safran-GTRE will develop nine prototypes of fighter engines, initially with 120 KN power, but it will go up in capacity to 140 KN by the end of the 12-year time period. These jet engines will be developed under Indian IPR, with Safran transferring 100% of the technology to DRDO. The interesting part of this engine is that the blades used in it are usually constructed from a single crystal using super-alloys, which are efficient, long-lasting. Its technology also copes better with higher heat and stress. The engine capacity lying between 120-140 KN will empower the twin-engine advanced multi-role aircraft (AMCA), which will be developed and produced by the Indian private sector with the Tata group, L&T and Adani Defence for the national effort. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has emphasised the need for an indigenous aircraft engine, calling it a top-tier defence technology with major civilian applications. Currently, countries like the United States, Russia, the United Kingdom, and France have the ability to design, develop and manufacture such engines. But shockingly, even after having advanced technology, China still remain dependent on Russian-made or reverse-engineered engines for its frontline fighter jets. Currently, only the United States, Russia, the United Kingdom, and France possess the capability to design, develop, and manufacture such engines. Even China, despite its advances, still relies on Russian-made or reverse-engineered engines for its frontline fighter jets. For India, the design, development, and joint production of these engines would be a strategic game-changer, ensuring that the Indian Air Force is no longer dependent on any foreign country for fighter aircraft propulsion and power projection.

The project will be jointly designed and developed by French firm Safran S.A. and India's Gas Turbine Research Establishment (GTRE), a lab under the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).

Kaveri’s failure to Safran’s jet engine breakthrough: How India is taking a BIG leap towards self-reliance

During PM Modi's France visit the defence cooperation projects included joint development of Jet and helicopter engines along with the construction of three scorpene submarines for the Indian Navy. Under the Indian multi-role helicopter program and agreement has also being inked between Francis Safran helicopter engine and India's Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). This is an important agreement as it entails a transfer of Technology of forging and casting for the Shakti engine.

India and France to co-develop and co-produce combat aircraft engines

A month after visiting the United States and signing a contract for the joint manufacture and technology transfer of a jet engine by GE Aviation, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's trip to France may result in the signing of a second jet deal. On July 13 and 14, Modi will be in France where he is the special guest for the Bastille Day Parade.

HAL and Safran sign a major defence agreement

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