HAL HTFE-25 Engine Delays: India wants to make its own powerful defence engines so it does not depend on other countries. But this big dream has hit a serious problem. A Parliamentary panel has strongly criticised Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, also called HAL, for long delays in making the HTFE-25 gas turbine engine. The panel said the project moved very slowly and faced many avoidable problems.
The Committee on Public Undertakings sent its Twenty-Sixth Report to Parliament and showed clear anger about the delay. The panel said HAL failed to finish Stage II of the project even after many years. This stage has stayed incomplete since 2018. That means more than seven years of delay.
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The HTFE-25 project started with a budget of ₹441.41 crore. The project aims to build two types of engines. One engine gives 25 kN thrust and will power Intermediate Jet Trainer aircraft. The second engine will work as a turboshaft engine for military helicopters. These engines matter a lot for fighter jets and helicopters. India still depends on foreign engines so this project plays a key role under the Atmanirbhar Bharat plan.
Test Facility Problems
The panel said the biggest problem came from the lack of a proper test-bed facility. This facility helps engineers test engines on the ground before they fly on aircraft. Without this testing area engines cannot get safety approval or performance checks. The panel said HAL waited too long to get approval for this facility.
The panel also said that checking other facilities or doing gap studies does not solve the real issue. The panel wants clear plans. It wants fixed timelines. It also wants proper funding so the test-bed can start work soon. The panel asked the Ministry of Defence to act fast and remove delays.
Because of all these problems HAL already lost a huge amount of money. According to India Masterminds the panel said HAL wrote off ₹159.23 crore because the costs became unrecoverable. The panel linked this loss directly to poor planning and long delays.
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Government and HAL Explain
Officials from the Ministry of Defence accepted that the project is very complex. They said HAL took a bold step by starting research on these engines to build Indian skills. They also said many engine parts are new for India and engineers design them for the first time. This caused redesign work and slow progress.
The ministry said DRDO’s Defence Metallurgical Research Laboratory and Mishra Dhatu Nigam Limited work on special materials for the engines. HAL placed orders worth ₹757.82 crore with MIDHANI for this work. HAL also works with foreign engine companies. It runs a joint venture called SAFHAL with Safran Helicopter Engines. Even with this help the project still struggles due to test-bed and approval issues.
