India To Invest Over Rs 65,400 Crore In Fighter Engine Programmes To Boost Self-Reliance, Says DRDO Official

India is preparing for a massive defence outlay of approximately Rs 65,400 crore ($7.44 billion) through 2035 to procure and produce high-performance engines for its next-generation fighter aircraft fleet, says a defence official. This investment underpins the nation’s ambitious push for self-reliance (Atmanirbhar Bharat) in critical aerospace propulsion technology, an area where indigenous development has historically lagged.

According to SV Ramana Murthy, Director of the Gas Turbine Research Establishment (GTRE)—a key Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) laboratory—the country will require roughly 1,100 engines for various fighter jet programmes currently in different stages of development.

“There is a need to work on mission

mode to create an ecosystem for indigenous fighter engines,” Murthy said at an event in Delhi, according to Reuters. He added that the country needed infrastructure such as a high-altitude testing facility, along with an industrial base.

Engine Requirement

This substantial requirement covers several major indigenous programmes:

HAL Tejas Mk-2 (Medium Weight Fighter-MWF): The upgraded version of the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA), which will replace ageing fleets like the Jaguar, Mirage 2000, and MiG-29.

Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA): India’s ambitious twin-engine, fifth-generation stealth fighter jet.

Tejas Mk-1A: The currently in-production variant of the LCA.

Dual-Track Strategy

India’s strategy involves a two-pronged approach. First, it is advancing domestic production through technology transfer deals with international partners. For instance, negotiations are underway with General Electric (GE) of the US for the co-production of the F414 engine to power the Tejas Mk-2, with a significant technology transfer component. Simultaneously, for the more advanced AMCA, the DRDO is collaborating with France’s Safran to co-develop a high-thrust, 110-kilonewton-class engine, aiming for higher indigenous content.

This multi-billion-dollar commitment is essential to secure the long-term supply chain and operational readiness of the Indian Air Force, moving past the constraints faced during the decades-long, underfunded Kaveri engine programme, and positioning India among a select few nations with advanced fighter engine manufacturing capability.