Baba Kalyani Champions Vital Private-Public-Academic Synergy for Indigenous Aero Engines, Crucial in Achieving True Self Reliance

Mr. Baba Kalyani, Chairman and Managing Director of Bharat Forge, has strongly advocated for a collaborative approach involving private companies, public sector undertakings, and academic institutions to develop indigenous aero engines.

Speaking on Republic TV, Mr. Kalyani highlighted the Indian industry's readiness to invest in advanced technology and sophisticated weapon systems, emphasizing that such a partnership is essential for India to achieve genuine self-reliance in the critical aerospace sector.

"Indian Industry committed to invest in #technology and developing advanced weapon platforms. Industry Consortia, a must, to develop #MadeinIndia Aero Engines," Mr. Kalyani stated.

This vision comes at a time when India is keen to strengthen its aerospace capabilities, particularly in aero engine technology, a field crucial for national defence.

India's aerospace industry has achieved notable successes, including the Tejas Light Combat Aircraft, the Dhruv Advanced Light Helicopter, and the Akash surface-to-air missile system, all of which demonstrate the nation's increasing technological capabilities.

However, the country still faces a significant challenge in developing high-performance aero engines. This area is currently dominated by a few global corporations, leading India to rely on imported engines for many of its key aircraft, such as the GE F404 for the Tejas Mk-1 and the AL-31FP for the Su-30 MKI.

This reliance can lead to strategic concerns regarding supply chain security and long-term maintenance expenses.

The Prime Minister's Atmanirbhar Bharat (Self-Reliant India) initiative places a strong emphasis on domestic defence manufacturing, aiming for $25 billion in defence exports by 2030. Aero engines, often considered the core of any combat aircraft, are central to this national goal.

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and private firms like Bharat Forge are actively working to address this technological gap. Mr. Kalyani's recent call for unified action underscores the importance of this mission, especially following recent geopolitical events, including Operation Sindoor earlier in May 2025, which underscored the need for robust air power.

Mr. Kalyani, leading Bharat Forge, a company with a global footprint in forging and advanced manufacturing, brings considerable experience to this initiative. His company has expanded its operations into the defence sector, supplying vital components for major artillery systems like the Advanced Towed Artillery Gun System (ATAGS) and contributing to India's missile development programs.

His proposal for industry consortia offers a practical strategy to overcome the substantial technological and financial hurdles associated with aero engine development.

The Case for Collaborative Consortia​

Developing aero engines is an extraordinarily complex engineering feat, demanding deep expertise in fields such as metallurgy, aerodynamics, thermal management, and sophisticated digital control systems.

Creating a jet engine from the ground up typically requires investments running into billions of dollars, extensive research spanning decades, and access to highly advanced materials like single-crystal turbine blades and ceramic matrix composites.

No single Indian entity, whether public or private, currently possesses the entire range of capabilities required to match established global leaders.

Mr. Kalyani’s proposal for industry consortia outlines a cooperative framework where:

• Private Industry (e.g., Bharat Forge, Tata Advanced Systems, Mahindra Defence) would contribute manufacturing prowess, supply chain management, and financial investment.
• Public Sector Undertakings (e.g., Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, Gas Turbine Research Establishment) would offer infrastructure, testing facilities, and specialised domain knowledge.
• Academic Institutions (e.g., Indian Institutes of Technology, Indian Institute of Science) would spearhead fundamental research in materials science and propulsion technologies.
• Startups and Small to Medium Enterprises (SMEs) would drive innovation in specialised areas like additive manufacturing (3D printing) and AI-assisted design optimisation.

This multi-faceted approach is similar to successful international collaborations, such as Europe's Clean Sky initiative, where major companies like Airbus and Safran work alongside academic partners to develop next-generation aircraft propulsion systems.

Mr. Kalyani's vision is also in harmony with India's Defence Production and Export Promotion Policy (DPEPP) 2020, which promotes public-private partnerships to foster technological independence.

Bharat Forge is well-suited to play a leading role in such consortia due to its specialisation in high-precision forging and advanced materials. The company's Kalyani Centre for Technology and Innovation (KCTI) has developed significant capabilities in processing titanium and superalloys, which are essential for manufacturing critical aero engine parts like compressor blades and turbine discs.

Furthermore, Bharat Forge's joint ventures, including one with Safran for landing gear components, showcase its capacity to collaborate effectively with global industry leaders while simultaneously building domestic expertise.

Mr. Kalyani's stress on technological investment is reflected in Bharat Forge’s ongoing research and development activities, including partnerships with DRDO’s Gas Turbine Research Establishment (GTRE) to support the indigenous Kaveri engine program.

 

[PrasannaBJN]

If we would have involved Private players like Adadni, Reliance, Kalyani and others who work on Aerospace technologies much earlier say 15 years back, we could have had our own Jet engine by this time..

 

[sanket]

Nice, but still need foreign partners to speed the development of Aero-Engines. This should have been done five to seven years ago. Valuable time already lost; now doing or starting will take 15 to 20 years, and it will further delay the timeline of AMCA. Once the ecosystem is built in the future, it will be easier.

 

[abhinav srivastava]

Start small, move fast. Make 10-20 KN engines which can be used by trainer aircrafts and drones. Complete most of its development in 3-4 years, then take up 30-40 KN engines. We are developing SWFT-K and similar platforms. Once desi jet engines are available, a lot of other platforms can be developed. In future, incentivise the aerospace sector to use Indian engines and components.

 

[Srinivas Nirmal Kumar Avula]

Baba Kalyani has been talking about aero engines for more than 10 years. The problem is India presently does not have critical technology, especially in metallurgical areas where very high temperatures are exceeded, which is difficult for metals to withstand. To develop these technologies indigenously is time-consuming.

 

[Enforcer]

Baba Kalyani has been talking about aero engines for more than 10 years. The problem is India presently does not have critical technology, especially in metallurgical areas where very high temperatures are exceeded, which is difficult for metals to withstand. To develop these technologies indigenously is time-consuming.

Bharat Forge, a metal forging company, doesn't know metallurgy and how to make advanced alloys.

Mahindra and Tata car companies don't know how to design an engine or transmission.

Drone companies in India import brushless motors from abroad.

Seems like nobody wants to do the hard work in India.

 

[Dredd]

Start small, move fast. Make 10-20 KN engines which can be used by trainer aircrafts and drones. Complete most of its development in 3-4 years, then take up 30-40 KN engines. We are developing SWFT-K and similar platforms. Once desi jet engines are available, a lot of other platforms can be developed. In future, incentivise the aerospace sector to use Indian engines and components.

There should be a requirement before developing an engine, MoD should initiate a program for development of engine for HALE or trainers.

 

[Sandeep]

India learnt a lot from the Kaveri engine and in its current form it can’t produce enough thrust that we need to power our jets. But we are developing a brand new variant to power the stealth UCAV Ghatak drone which will meet the technology and capability requirement's. We are also developing the Kaveri Marine engines which will one day power our naval ships.

The best option is to manufacture the F414 engines in India as we receive 80% of the technology and get to manufacture it indigenously. This will allow us to understand and learn the proper way on developing and manufacturing an engine properly. This deal will also start an entire ecosystem on engine research and production of the parts which in future will enable us to use it on future engine development projects.

We will also be developing a brand new stealth engine for the AMCA with a partner which will be the engine of the future. We could also use this engine to power our other jets as well which will make us self reliant.

 

[सामान्य नागरिक]

Start small, move fast. Make 10-20 KN engines which can be used by trainer aircrafts and drones. Complete most of its development in 3-4 years, then take up 30-40 KN engines. We are developing SWFT-K and similar platforms. Once desi jet engines are available, a lot of other platforms can be developed. In future, incentivise the aerospace sector to use Indian engines and components.

India already has a 75 kN engine called Kaveri, but it's not enough for fighter jet requirements as it needs more than 85 kN thrust.

 

[abhinav srivastava]

There should be a requirement before developing an engine, MoD should initiate a program for development of engine for HALE or trainers.

Engines can be developed without a very specific application as well. India can afford that kind of money to develop technical expertise and for expanding the sector. When the engines are getting certified, we can incentivize the private sector to come up with use cases. Incentivize private companies generously to do that.

BTW, we have numerous use cases as well.

For 30-40 KN, we have UCAV, GHATAK, and trainer aircraft. They are currently using Russian engines. Other platforms can also be developed using them. Our Hawks use ~30 KN Adour engines. HAL had plans to develop an engine of the same class, but it is unable to.

10-20 KN can be used in trainer jets. We can also ask the private sector to design some drones, and we can sell them globally as well.

We can also develop some turboprops, which can be certified and used in Pilatus, Dornier, and Saras aircraft. We are developing MALE and HALE class drones and procuring some from the US as well. We should plan to make our own turboprop engines for them as well.

 

[SK]

Indian-Govt should keep Aircraft & Marine-turbine engine projects directly under the supervision of PMO.

There is a need to realize that an Indigenous Jet engine program is as critical as WMDs & Ballistic Missiles.

Kaveri-Engine program already has create a base, we need to just further invest & Research on it by becoming fully focused as a Nation.

Even if we are able to develop a 4th Gen Engine, it will greatly boost the capability of our forces as it's Marine-version can give the necessary strategic Independence to IN.

 

[Dredd]

Engines can be developed without a very specific application as well. India can afford that kind of money to develop technical expertise and for expanding the sector. When the engines are getting certified, we can incentivize the private sector to come up with use cases. Incentivize private companies generously to do that.

BTW, we have numerous use cases as well.

For 30-40 KN, we have UCAV, GHATAK, and trainer aircraft. They are currently using Russian engines. Other platforms can also be developed using them. Our Hawks use ~30 KN Adour engines. HAL had plans to develop an engine of the same class, but it is unable to.

10-20 KN can be used in trainer jets. We can also ask the private sector to design some drones, and we can sell them globally as well.

We can also develop some turboprops, which can be certified and used in Pilatus, Dornier, and Saras aircraft. We are developing MALE and HALE class drones and procuring some from the US as well. We should plan to make our own turboprop engines for them as well.

I think we should ask a private player to make an engine replacement for the F404 with a thrust of 90KN. We should go from scratch as the current Kaveri has no potential for improvement beyond its 80KN limit, that too in theory. We can pass over knowledge gained from Kaveri to the private consortium and fund the bill of R&D along with a commitment for hundreds of engines if developed.