HAL cannot do everything alone, private sector crucial to aerospace ecosystem: CMD Ravi K.

Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) cannot develop and manufacture every component on its own and is therefore building a wider domestic aerospace ecosystem by involving private defence manufacturers, including MSMEs and start-ups, HAL Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) Ravi K. said on Thursday (September 17, 2026).

Speaking to The Hindu at the HAL headquarters, Mr. Ravi said the growing number of aerospace programmes and products required greater participation from the private sector.

“HAL cannot do everything on its own. An ecosystem has to be developed because so many products are coming up,” he said, adding that HAL had outsourced major structural components to private vendors while focusing its own resources on core integration and assembly activities. This approach, he said, was aimed at creating a robust domestic supply chain for indigenous aerospace manufacturing.

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Tejas frames ready, engines delayed

On the delay in HAL’s deliveries of the light combat aircraft (LCA) Tejas Mk1 to the Indian Air Force (IAF), the HAL CMD said the company was in discussions with GE Aerospace, the original equipment manufacturer (OEM), about delays in engine supplies. “We have 10 engines and we are discussing with the OEM regarding the delays. We are getting the airframe ready so when we get engines, we make the aircraft ready,” he said.

According to Mr. Ravi, HAL currently has 25 Tejas airframes ready. “We are hopeful GE will resolve all their issues and start delivering the balance engines,” he said.

He, however, did not commit to any specific timeline for delivery of the remaining aircraft, saying the process was iterative. “I am not promising any timeline. I have my own internal timeline,” he said.

Awaiting GE proposal

With regard to the GE F414 engine, which is planned to power the LCA Mk2, Mr. Ravi said the ball is in GE’s court. “All technical issues have been resolved. We are expecting the commercial proposal from GE,” he said, noting that GE had earlier indicated it would require around three months to submit the proposal.

“By October, we should get something, or they may take one or two more months since it’s a big project,” Mr. Ravi said.

He added that HAL hopes to receive the Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) clearance from the Ministry of Defence, which will enable the company to proceed towards signing the contract with GE.

HAL has also, for the first time, received dual certification for its Dhruv Next Generation (NG) helicopters, he said, meaning that the company can pursue both military and civil helicopter platforms.

Handover of training aircraft

HAL will hand over the LCA Tejas Final Operational Clearance twin-seater trainer aircraft and HTT-40 basic trainer aircraft to the IAF at an event in Bengaluru on Friday, along with the Dhruv NG helicopters to Pawan Hans Limited.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Civil Aviation Minister K. Rammohan Naidu are scheduled to be present on the occasion, along with stakeholders from the aerospace and defence sectors.

The handover is expected to showcase the expanding capabilities of HAL and its industry partners in designing, developing, and manufacturing aerospace platforms for military as well as civilian applications. It will also highlight the role of the domestic aerospace industry in strengthening indigenous design, development, and manufacturing capabilities, and reducing dependence on foreign sources.