In a significant push for India's self-reliance in aerospace technology, leading private defence firms Godrej Defence and Larsen & Toubro (L&T) have proposed to the Ministry of Defence that the government fund the development of a more powerful variant of the indigenous Kaveri engine.
According to sources familiar with the matter, the proposal outlines a plan to create an upgraded Kaveri Derivative Engine (KDE) equipped with a new afterburner, capable of producing 90 kilonewtons (kN) of thrust, to serve as a long-term power plant for the Tejas Mk1A combat aircraft.
This initiative comes at a critical time, aiming to create a domestically produced engine that can meet the evolving demands of India's light combat aircraft fleet and reduce a critical dependency on foreign suppliers.
The proposal from the industrial giants, whose expertise is foundational to India's defence manufacturing ecosystem, represents a pivotal step towards securing the nation's aerospace future.
Godrej Aerospace has already demonstrated its capability by manufacturing major components and delivering two complete Kaveri engines to the Gas Turbine Research Establishment (GTRE), while L&T offers extensive experience in defence systems integration.
The Kaveri engine project, originally launched in 1986 by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), was intended to power the Tejas Light Combat Aircraft (LCA). While the program faced challenges with achieving the required thrust and managing engine weight, it has since made substantial progress.
A non-afterburning version, the KDE, was successfully developed for the Ghatak stealth drone program, reliably producing 46-49 kN of dry thrust in ground tests. Godrej has been instrumental, delivering two 48 kN KDE engines in April 2025, with six more scheduled for delivery by the end of the year.
A key challenge remains the thrust gap. The current Tejas Mk1A jets are fitted with the American General Electric F404-IN20 engine, which generates 84 kN of thrust. The more advanced Tejas Mk2 will require the even more powerful 98 kN GE F414-INS6 engine.
Projections show that the current KDE, when fitted with an afterburner being developed by BrahMos Aerospace, can produce 73-75 kN of thrust, similar to the French Safran M88-2 engine of the Rafale jet.
However, this is insufficient for the Tejas fleet, prompting Godrej and L&T to advocate for a new variant powerful enough to reach the 90 kN benchmark required by the Indian Air Force (IAF).
The IAF's operational needs underscore the urgency for a more powerful engine. With orders for 83 Tejas Mk1A placed in 2021 and another 97 approved in 2024, the air force is set to operate a fleet of nearly 220 of these advanced fighters.
Over their 40-year service life, this fleet will require more than 700 engines, including regular replacements. As the aircraft's design has evolved to carry heavier and more advanced weapon systems, its maximum take-off weight has increased, demanding greater engine thrust to maintain combat effectiveness.
The push for an indigenous solution is intensified by significant geopolitical risks and supply chain disruptions.
The production of the Tejas Mk1A has already been impacted by severe delays in the delivery of GE F404 engines from the United States. Reports indicate that despite a 2021 order for 99 engines, only a single unit had been delivered by March 2025 due to US supply chain constraints.
Furthermore, concerns over potential US sanctions related to India's international relations have cast uncertainty over the critical transfer of technology deal for the GE F414 engines, making a self-reliant alternative a matter of strategic necessity.
The proposed roadmap involves a two-stage process. The first step would be to integrate the current 73-75 kN Kaveri engine with a Tejas aircraft for flight trials by 2028.
Following successful tests, the second phase would focus on developing the uprated 90 kN variant to be integrated into the Tejas Mk1A fleet during their mid-life upgrades.
While challenges such as reducing the engine's weight—currently 1,180 kg compared to the F404's 1,035 kg—and perfecting the afterburner technology remain, the joint proposal by Godrej and L&T signals a determined effort by Indian industry to secure a sovereign capability in aero-engine technology.
