The Indian Ministry of Defence has proposed a massive ₹61,000 crore project to build next-generation fighter jet engines in partnership with France. This step is part of India’s goal to become self-reliant in defence manufacturing under the ‘Make in India’ initiative.
Right now, all fighter aircraft in the Indian Air Force use engines made by foreign companies. These engines are expensive to buy and maintain. Experts say that India will need over 250 new jet engines in the next 10 years.
What’s the Plan?
- The Defence Ministry wants to develop a powerful 120 kilonewton (kN) engine for future fighter jets, like the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA).
- India is considering offers from two companies: Safran (France) and Rolls Royce (UK).
- After technical and financial reviews, the Ministry found the French offer more beneficial for India. Safran is ready to transfer full technology and align the engine’s development with AMCA’s timeline.
Who’s Supporting This?
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is backing the project strongly. He believes it will help India build an ecosystem for manufacturing fighter jet engines on its own.
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Current Situation
- The AMCA project will initially use US-made GE 414 engines until India’s own engine is ready.
- India has tried building a fighter engine before, through the Kaveri project, but it didn’t meet the required power. However, a version of Kaveri is now being developed for unmanned combat aircraft.
- India is also talking to the US to get over 80% technology transfer for the GE414 engine, including advanced techniques like laser drilling and crystal blade manufacturing.
Only a few countries in the world know how to make fighter jet engines. If India succeeds, it would be a major step towards independence in defence technology and reduce reliance on foreign countries.
