Godrej Kaveri Engines: India is now moving to a new stage in making its own aircraft engines. The Gas Turbine Research Establishment has told Godrej & Boyce to stop sending engine parts separately and instead send fully ready engines from the D-3 unit onward. This is a big shift in how things are being done.
Before this, engines were made in parts and then put together later. Now the full engine will be built in one place. This will save time and make the process faster. It also shows that India wants companies to handle more work instead of only depending on research labs.
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Earlier, Godrej & Boyce got a deal to make different parts of the Kaveri Derivative Engine. Around eight full engines are planned in total. The first engine called D-1 was given to GTRE. After that, D-2 was also made but it came in parts and was assembled later. These engines were better than older versions because they followed proper factory standards, not just test models.
Now from D-3, everything will be built fully at Godrej’s side. This means they will handle full assembly. Because of this, GTRE can now focus more on testing and checking instead of building the engine step by step.
What Makes This Engine Special
The Kaveri Derivative Engine is not like a normal fighter jet engine. It is a dry engine so it works without an afterburner. Fighter jets usually use afterburners to get more speed and power, but that also burns more fuel and puts extra load on the engine.
Since this engine does not have an afterburner, it can be more dependable and use less fuel. It can also keep running for a longer time in a steady way. That is why it is a good fit for drones like UCAVs. These aircraft need to stay in the sky for long missions for smoothness.
India wants to use this engine for the Ghatak UCAV project. In March 2026, reports said India may buy 60 Ghatak drones. If that happens, a lot of engines will be needed, so the making process has to become quicker and stronger.
Godrej will likely to build full facilities for engine assembly and testing. The company may also use digital twin technology. That means the engine can first be checked on a computer before real testing starts. This can help save time and lower the chance of problems.
Testing and Future Plans
Right now, the D-1 and D-2 engines are being tested very carefully. They are going through long tests of up to 150 hours. These tests check how strong and stable the engine is over time.
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The engines are also tested in special places like Russia’s High-Altitude Test Facility and India’s INDIRA test bed. These places help test how the engine works in tough conditions like high altitude where air pressure is low. This is important because real missions can happen in such environments.
The plan is not just to make engines but also to teach private companies everything about building them. GTRE wants to slowly pass full knowledge and responsibility to companies like Godrej. This will help India build many engines in the future without delays.
