The Ministry of Defence has recommended France’s Safran as the preferred partner for India’s ambitious ₹61,000 crore fighter jet engine development program. This landmark decision represents a pivotal moment in India’s defence manufacturing journey, marking a significant step toward achieving self-reliance in critical aerospace technologies while reducing the country’s long-standing dependence on foreign-made military power-plants.
Strategic Recommendation Following Comprehensive Evaluation
Following an extensive consultative process involving detailed input from stakeholders and comprehensive assessment by a high-level technical committee, the Ministry of Defence concluded that Safran’s proposal offered the most beneficial terms for India’s strategic interests. The evaluation process scrutinized all critical aspects of fighter jet engine manufacturing, comparing competing proposals from France’s Safran and the UK’s Rolls-Royce across technical parameters, cost implications, and strategic alignment with India’s defence modernization goals.
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Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has been instrumental in championing this indigenous engine development initiative, serving as a key driver behind plans to establish a comprehensive domestic engine manufacturing ecosystem in India. The minister’s leadership has been crucial in pushing forward this strategic collaboration that promises to bring advanced design and manufacturing capabilities to India’s aerospace sector.
Comprehensive Engine Development Program
The ₹61,000 crore initiative centres on the joint development of a 120-kilonewton (kN) thrust engine specifically designed to power India’s future combat platforms, most notably the indigenous Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA). This next-generation engine represents a crucial technological leap that will enable India’s fifth-generation stealth fighter program to achieve its ambitious performance requirements, including super-cruise capability and enhanced stealth characteristics.
Safran’s winning proposal distinguished itself through its commitment to complete technology transfer, a critical factor that aligns with India’s pursuit of strategic autonomy in defence manufacturing. The French company’s development roadmap has been carefully structured to synchronize with the AMCA’s projected timeline, ensuring seamless integration of the indigenous engine with the aircraft’s overall development schedule.
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Current Engine Dependencies And Future Transition
India’s current fighter aircraft fleet operates exclusively on foreign-origin engines, with engine procurement and maintenance representing a substantial portion of overall fighter jet costs. Conservative projections indicate that India will require well over 250 next-generation engines within the coming decade to meet its expanding air force requirements.
The first squadron of AMCA aircraft will initially utilise US-manufactured GE-414 engines while the indigenous engine development progresses in parallel. This phased approach ensures continuity in the AMCA program while allowing sufficient time for the complete development and testing of the indigenously co-developed power-plant. The GE-414 engines, delivering approximately 98 kN of thrust, will power the first 40 units of the AMCA MK-1 variant.
Learning From Past Challenges
India’s previous attempt at indigenous engine development under the Kaveri project encountered significant technical challenges, ultimately failing to achieve the required thrust parameters for modern fighter aircraft deployment. The Kaveri engine program, initiated in the 1980s by the Gas Turbine Research Establishment (GTRE), faced multiple obstacles including insufficient thrust generation, weight issues, reliability concerns, and inability to meet international fighter jet performance standards.
The project’s shortcomings included thrust deficiency, with the engine producing only 81.4 kN against the targeted 120 kN requirement. Additional challenges encompassed decayed performance at high altitude, combustion instability, and significant reliability issues in extreme operating conditions. Despite an expenditure of over ₹2,035 crore over three decades, the Kaveri project was eventually delinked from the Tejas program in 2008.
However, DRDO Chairman Samir V. Kamat acknowledged that “the mistake we made was to develop an engine (Kaveri) and platform (LCA) together,” emphasizing that engine development should be a continuous process separate from platform development. A derivative of the Kaveri engine is now being adapted for unmanned combat aerial vehicles, ensuring that the accumulated knowledge and investment contribute to India’s broader defence ecosystem.
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Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft Specifications
The AMCA represents India’s most ambitious aerospace project, designed as a 25-tonne, twin-engine, multi-role stealth aircraft capable of operating at speeds up to 2,600 kilometres per hour (Mach 2.15). The aircraft features advanced stealth capabilities, including specialized radar-absorbing materials, infrared signature reduction technology, and internal weapons bays designed to minimize radar cross-section.
Key specifications include a combat range of 1,620 kilometres, internal fuel capacity of 6.5 tonnes, and payload capacity of 6,500 kg with 1,500 kg in internal weapons bays. The aircraft will be equipped with indigenous systems including the Uttam AESA radar, BrahMos-NG missiles, Astra air-to-air missiles, and Rudram anti-radiation missiles.
Technology Transfer And Manufacturing Ecosystem
The collaboration with Safran promises comprehensive technology transfer encompassing critical manufacturing processes including single-crystal blade production, hot-end coatings, laser drilling capabilities, and advanced metallurgy techniques. This technology transfer will enable India to develop a complete aerospace manufacturing ecosystem, supporting not only the AMCA program but also future indigenous aircraft development initiatives.
The partnership is expected to create significant opportunities for both public and private sector participation in India’s defence manufacturing sector. The project aligns with India’s broader “Make in India” initiative, which has already demonstrated remarkable success with defence production reaching ₹1.27 lakh crore in FY 2023-24 and defence exports surging to ₹23,622 crore in FY 2024-25.
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Concurrent Engine Development Initiatives
Parallel to the Safran collaboration, India continues negotiations with the United States for enhanced technology transfer related to the GE-414 INS6 engine intended for the LCA Mk2 variant. These discussions seek over 80 percent technology transfer, including critical technologies such as hot-end coatings, single-crystal blade manufacturing, and laser drilling capabilities.
The GE-414 technology transfer agreement, potentially worth $1 billion, represents another significant milestone in India’s quest for engine technology autonomy. This deal includes the establishment of local manufacturing capabilities in Bengaluru, with 80 percent of engine value addition occurring within India.
Timeline And Future Prospects
The AMCA program anticipates first prototype rollout by 2026-27, with initial flight testing scheduled for 2028-29 and full operational capability by 2035. The indigenous engine development timeline aligns with these milestones, ensuring that subsequent AMCA variants will be powered by domestically produced engines, achieving complete strategic autonomy in fighter aircraft propulsion.
This strategic partnership with France marks a transformative moment in India’s defence manufacturing evolution, promising to establish the country as a major player in global aerospace technologies while ensuring long-term security through indigenous capabilities. The success of this collaboration will serve as a foundation for India’s broader aspirations in advanced aerospace systems, including potential sixth-generation fighter aircraft development and expansion into civilian aerospace markets.
IDN (With Agency Inputs)
Agencies
