Koraput (Odisha), Oct 5 (PTI) Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is scheduled to lay the foundation stone on Tuesday for a Rs 218-crore new facility linked to Shakti engines at Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd’s Koraput unit in Odisha, an official statement said.
He will also inaugurate a function marking the delivery of the 2,000th aero-engine by HAL Koraput division in the Sunabeda area, it said.
The event, which will also be attended by Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, will mark nearly six decades of HAL Koraput division’s contribution to the country’s aerospace and defence manufacturing capabilities and operational readiness of the armed forces, the statement said.
The establishment of a second production line for Shakti engines will add to the capacity of the HAL Koraput division and support the growing requirements of indigenous helicopter platforms, including the Dhruv Advanced Light Helicopter and Prachand Light Combat Helicopter, it said.
The event also underlines the government’s vision of transforming India from a buyer of defence equipment into a designer, developer and manufacturer of defence systems.
Building indigenous aero-engine capability is a critical component of this vision, given the strategic importance and technological complexity of propulsion systems, the statement said.
HAL’s Koraput division has been playing a key role in India’s military equipment manufacturing, and the Shakti engine programme is expected to give a boost to the effort, an official said on Monday.
The Shakti engine programme is a joint Indo-French initiative between HAL and Safran Helicopter Engines to develop and manufacture turboshaft engines for India’s military requirements.
According to official sources, Singh is likely to reach Sunabeda on Tuesday afternoon after attending programmes of Hindustan Shipyard Ltd in Visakhapatnam, where he is scheduled to inaugurate upgraded maritime infrastructure and participate in key shipbuilding milestones.
In view of the defence minister’s visit, the Koraput district administration has made tight security arrangements across Sunabeda, an officer said.
“The entire routes leading to the venue have been thoroughly sanitised, and necessary security measures have been put in place for the minister’s visit,” Koraput SP Rohit Verma said.
HAL’s Koraput division was established in the 1960s and has evolved over the decades from servicing Soviet-origin aircraft engines to undertaking the manufacturing, overhaul and maintenance of engines used in modern combat aircraft.
The Sunabeda facility is associated with the manufacture and overhaul of engines for the Sukhoi-30MKI fleet. PTI CORR AAM MNB AAM BDC
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