India expands Shakti engine production for military helicopters

Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) is expanding production of the Ardiden 1H1 Shakti engines at its Bengaluru facility to meet growing demand for indigenous military helicopters. The expansion represents a significant step in India's efforts to scale up domestic defence manufacturing capabilities.

Currently, HAL produces 80 Shakti engines annually. The new production line will increase annual capacity to 180 engines, more than doubling the present output. This expanded capacity is designed to support the Dhruv and Prachand helicopter programmes, both critical platforms in the Indian military's rotorcraft fleet.

The production expansion reflects India's broader push to reduce reliance on imported components for its defence systems and strengthen indigenous manufacturing across the aerospace sector.