Analysis Why Indigenous Kaveri Engine Starved of Funds while AMCA Engine with Foreign Collaboration Receives a Staggering ₹61,000 Cr?

In a landmark move for India's military aviation ambitions, the government has reportedly approved a substantial allocation of approximately ₹61,000 crores for the development of a new engine for its futuristic Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA).

This decision signals a major push to equip the Indian Air Force with a domestically produced fifth-generation stealth fighter.

However, the significant financial commitment to a new engine, expected to be developed with foreign collaboration, has renewed a long-standing debate within the nation's defence circles.

Many experts are questioning the contrast between this massive funding and the modest financial support historically provided to the indigenous Kaveri engine program, which received less than ₹2,500 crores over several decades.

The Journey of the Indigenous Kaveri Engine​

Initiated in the 1980s by the Gas Turbine Research Establishment (GTRE) under the DRDO, the Kaveri engine project was a cornerstone of India's goal for self-reliance in aerospace technology.

It was primarily designed to power the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas.

Despite making considerable progress, the program was persistently plagued by technical challenges and a severe lack of consistent funding.

The Kaveri engine ultimately achieved a peak thrust of 49 kilonewtons (kN) in a derivative variant, a significant engineering achievement for India but insufficient for the demands of a modern fighter jet.

Critical hurdles included the inability to develop single-crystal turbine blades and high-temperature resistant alloys, which are essential for achieving higher thrust and efficiency.

Consequently, the LCA Tejas was integrated with the American-made GE F404 engine, and the Kaveri program was effectively sidelined for fighter jet applications.

A New Chapter with International Partnership​

The ₹61,000 crore investment represents a fundamental change in India's strategy for developing complex defence technology. The project to power the AMCA will be a joint venture with an international engine manufacturer.

India is reportedly in advanced discussions with global industry leaders, such as Safran of France and Rolls-Royce from the United Kingdom, to co-develop a powerful 110-120 kN thrust class engine.

This new engine is planned to incorporate state-of-the-art features befitting a fifth-generation aircraft, including stealth characteristics to reduce radar detection, the ability to 'supercruise' (fly at supersonic speeds without using afterburners), and advanced thrust vectoring for superior manoeuvrability.

The large budget accounts for the immense costs associated with research, development, licensing, and establishing a sophisticated manufacturing ecosystem within India through significant technology transfer.

Analysing the Funding Disparity​

The decision to allocate a vast sum for a collaborative project while the indigenous Kaveri was underfunded has drawn criticism.

Proponents of the Kaveri argue that with similar funding a decade ago, GTRE could have potentially scaled the engine up to a 75 kN dry thrust, making it a viable option for future combat aircraft.

The reasons behind this strategic pivot are multifaceted:

• Urgent Operational Timelines: The Indian Air Force is facing a pressing need to modernise its fleet and maintain its squadron strength. Waiting for an indigenous engine to mature would significantly delay the AMCA program, a timeline India can ill-afford given the regional security landscape.
• Technological Risk Mitigation: Developing a high-performance jet engine is one of the most complex and expensive technological endeavours. By partnering with an established foreign manufacturer, India mitigates the immense risks and uncertainties associated with developing such technology from the ground up.
• Past Budgetary Constraints: During the crucial development phase of the Kaveri engine in the 1990s and 2000s, India's economy was smaller, and the defence budget was stretched thin across many competing priorities. A high-risk, long-term research project was deemed less critical than procuring operational equipment to meet immediate threats.

The Path Forward: A Hybrid Approach​

While the AMCA engine project proceeds with a foreign partner, the expertise gained from the Kaveri program is not lost.

The Kaveri engine is being adapted to power India's indigenous unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV), the Ghatak. This ensures that the decades of research and investment continue to serve India's defence needs.

For future self-reliance, it is critical that the AMCA engine agreement includes a comprehensive Transfer of Technology (ToT) clause. This will allow Indian scientists and engineers to master key technologies, paving the way for truly indigenous engine development in the future.

Experts also advocate for creating a robust ecosystem by investing in world-class testing infrastructure and fostering greater collaboration between public-sector units and private industry giants, aligning with the national mission of 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat'.

 

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[priyanshu3657]

One word- congress

 

[Akash7645]

UPA was fed cash for killing Kaveri so that India has to stay dependent for crucial military tech. Apart from this, it's been 10 years and NDA Govt never really never thought of developing complete engine development infrastructure. These people are worthless.

 

[sanket]

Oh, that's a very tight slap on the comedian who was saying GTRE was given a blank cheque. Not only 2500 Cr, but without test facilities and a lack of a strong industrial base, even FTB was also not available. Now the main question arises: 13,000 Cr/15000 Cr for developing 5 prototypes of AMCA, while for the engine, it will have 61,000 Cr. At the end, with engine development cost skyrocketed, what will be the price tag for AMCA MK2............?? When this engine with 120 kN will be integrated, will it exceed with similar fighter jets available in the market, given the 100 to 126 AMCA to be inducted? Hope in the future, more AMCA will be ordered, eventually reaching total induction up to 250 plus. Next would be integrating and replacing the GE-414 engine in TEDBF and Tejas MK2. TEDBF being a twin-engine with long-term IN expected to induct 145 jets that will require almost 300 engines, while Tejas MK2 may cross 250 units (in mid-life upgrade), that means another opportunity for economies of scale for the 120 kN engine, with TEDBF likely to enter into production by 2038.

 

[ddzz13687]

GTRE should develop these jet engines with Indian private sector companies like L & T, Godrej aerospace, Kalyani, etc., private sector companies will get critical technologies from foreign oem's.
India has testing facilities.

 

[Kira]

It hit a dead end in terms of development pathways, and it was already overweight and underpowered for any serious fighter operations. So, a newer, future-proof option was sought for powering future jets and drones. Nonetheless, all is not lost, as the Kaveri can be salvaged to power future drone projects, and many de-rated versions of it can be used to power smaller drones and cruise missiles.

 

[Bks98]

The Kaveri engine received 30 years of funding, but it seems there was little progress. They have no idea how to reach 80kn. As there's no confidence, the government has decided not to fund this further. They need to blame themselves.

 

[DS]

KDE engines of India need financial boost . Currently KDE engine is producing same dry thrust as M88 from France.

The hot core development needs funding. GOI should do it fast

 

[Vishwanath Vijay Thomre]

One critical observation is we have selected partner for development as Safran, they do not have engine which give 80kN thrust. The M88 has 75kN thrust which drives the Raphale which is twin engine. The new M88 TRex is also only 88kN thrust. Our Kaveri is much better which will give 80kN thrust, if really concentrated and funded properly we should have an engine that will create wonders for India.

My question is can we believe on Safran for giving us 120kN engine, with their current expertise. That was the reason we should have opted for Japan or Russia by doing more discussions for promising deal. Again a case where we are forced to look to Western counterpart when we have much better choices.

 

[Sandeep]

The issue was never about a lack of funding at all because they got a blank cheque to try and develop one.

The main reason for the failure was that we didn’t have any staff, scientists, technicians etc who had the advanced knowledge and skills that was required to develop an engine. Our knowledge in science, metallurgy, engineering and manufacturing was not sufficient enough to compete with a foreign engine.

Now we have a lot more knowledge and skills that we can definitely try and develop an indigenous engine. We can try and develop a replacement for the F404 and F414 engines which will be good news. However we can’t develop a 5th generation stealth engine by ourselves so we definitely need to partner with a reliable and foreign company that has the skills and technology that will help to create a brand new engine.