New Delhi: State-owned aerospace manufacturer Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has entered into strategic manufacturing agreements with Adani Defence Systems and Technologies Limited and Bharat Earth Movers Limited (BEML) to produce fuselage structures for the indigenous Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) Prachand. Under the terms of the contracts, BEML will manufacture 48 fuselage aerostructures, while Adani Defence will produce 42, marking the first time private industry has been directly integrated into the production of helicopter fuselage structures in India.
The agreements aim to scale up manufacturing capacity and ensure timely delivery following the Ministry of Defence’s Rs 62,700-crore contracts for 156 LCH units, comprising 66 helicopters for the Indian Air Force and 90 for the Indian Army. Deliveries under the mega procurement deal are slated to commence in March 2028 and continue across a five-year timeline through 2033. HAL has already initiated manufacturing operations for the helicopters at its facility in Tumakuru, Karnataka.
HAL Chairman and Managing Director Ravi K. noted that adding parallel production lines through BEML and Adani Defence will fortify the domestic supply chain, expand industrial aerospace capabilities, and generate opportunities for Indian micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and component suppliers. Capable of operating at extreme altitudes above 5,000 metres, the twin-engine combat helicopter is designed to achieve over 65 per cent indigenous content during this production run.
