Footnotes/references Financials as of 31March2025[update].[5]
Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) is an Indian public sectoraerospace and defence company, headquartered in Bengaluru. Established on 23 December 1940 by Walchand Hirachand. HAL is one of the oldest and largest aerospace and defence manufacturers in the world.[6] HAL began aircraft manufacturing as early as 1942 with licensed production of Harlow PC-5, Curtiss P-36 Hawk and Vultee A-31 Vengeance for the Indian Air Force.[6] HAL currently has 11 dedicated Research and development (R&D) centres and 21 manufacturing divisions under 4 production units spread across India.[6] HAL is managed by a board of directors appointed by the President of India through the Ministry of Defence, Government of India.[7] In 2024, the company was given Maharatna status.[8] HAL is currently involved in the designing and manufacturing of fighter jets, helicopters, jet engine and marine gas turbine engine, avionics, hardware development, spares supply, overhauling and upgrading of Indian military aircraft.[9]
Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) was formed on 1 October 1964 (the Registrar of Companies has a registration date of 16 August 1963)[11] when Hindustan Aircraft Limited joined the consortium formed in June by the IAF Aircraft Manufacturing Depot, Kanpur (at the time manufacturing HS748 under licence) and the group recently set up to manufacture MiG-21 under licence, with its new factories planned in Koraput, Nasik and Hyderabad.[12] Though HAL was not used actively for developing newer models of fighter jets, except for the HF-24 Marut, the company has played a crucial role in modernisation of the Indian Air Force. In 1957, the company started manufacturing Bristol Siddeley Orpheus jet engines under licence at new factory located in Bengaluru.
During the 1980s, HAL's operations saw a rapid increase which resulted in the development of new indigenous aircraft such as the HAL Tejas and HAL Dhruv. HAL also developed an advanced version of the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21, known as MiG-21 Bison, which increased its life-span by more than 20 years. HAL has also obtained several multimillion-dollar contracts from leading international aerospace firms such as Airbus, Boeing and Honeywell to manufacture aircraft spare parts and engines.
By 2012, HAL was reportedly bogged down in the details of production and has been slipping on its schedules.[13] On 1 April 2015, HAL reconstituted its Board with TS Raju as CMD, S Subrahmanyan as Director (Operations), VM Chamola as Director (HR), CA Ramana Rao as Director (Finance) and D K Venkatesh as Director (Engineering & R&D). There are two government nominees in the board and six independent directors.
Light Combat Helicopter induction into the Indian Army
In March 2017, HAL's chairman and managing director T Suvarna Raju announced that the company had finalised plans for an indigenisation drive. The company plans to produce nearly 1, 000 military helicopters, including Kamov 226, LCH (Light Combat Helicopter) ALH (Advanced Light Helicopter), and over 100 planes over the next 10 years. HAL will manufacture the Kamov 226T helicopter under a joint venture agreement with Russian defence manufacturers. The Kamov 226T will replace the country's fleet of Cheetah and Chetak helicopters. Over the next 5 years, HAL will carry out major upgrades of almost the entire fighter fleet of the Indian Air Force, including Su-30MKI, Jaguars, Mirage and Hawk jets, to make them "more lethal". The company will also deliver 123 Tejas Light Combat Aircraft to the IAF from 2018 to 2019, at a rate of 16 jets per year.[14]LCH production will now take place in a newly built Light Combat Helicopter Production Hangar at Helicopter Division in HAL Complex.[15]
In view of the Make in India policy and to increase the share of defence exports to achieve the target of $5 billion by 2025, HAL is planning to set up logistic bases in Indonesia, Malaysia, Sri Lanka and Vietnam with priority target for Southeast Asia, West Asia and North African markets. It would not only help to promote HAL products but also act as service centre for Soviet/Russian origin equipment.[16]
In October 2024, HAL was given Maharatna status, which allows the company to have more operational and financial autonomy.[17] In 2025, HAL invited private Indian companies to enter into a joint venture for the production of the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft, in which HAL would hold a 50% stake and four private companies would each hold a 12.5% stake.[18]
In June 2025, the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) transferred the technology of the Small Satellite Launch Vehicle to HAL, which was the first time ISRO transferred the entire technology of a rocket to a single company, for which HAL paid ₹511 crore (US$60million) to ISRO.[19] Also in June 2025, HAL and Safran Aircraft Engines (SAE), a French aircraft engine manufacturing company, signed an agreement for HAL to manufacture rotating parts for SAE's LEAP engines.[20]
Aero Engine Research and Development Centre
On 29 December 2023, Defence SecretaryGiridhar Aramane opened a new design and testing facility at the HAL Aero Engine Research and Development Centre (AERDC) in Bengaluru. AERDC is involved in the development,testing and commercialisation of HAL's line of in-house aero-engines.[21][22]
Operations
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One of the largest aerospace companies in Asia, HAL has annual turnover of over US$3 billion. More than 40% of HAL's revenues come from international deals to manufacture aircraft engines, spare parts, and other aircraft materials. A partial list of major operations undertaken by HAL includes the following:
US$1 billion contract to manufacture aircraft parts for Boeing.[23]
120 RD-33MK turbofan engines to be manufactured for MiG-29K by HAL for US$250 million.[24]
Contract to manufacture 1,000 Honeywell TPE331 aircraft engines for Honeywell worth US$200,000 each (estimates put total value of deal at US$200 million).[25]
US$15 million contract for supplying steel and nickel alloy forgings to GE Aviation for its global military and commercial engine programmes.[36]
Domestic agreements
221 Sukhoi Su-30MKI being manufactured at HAL's facilities in Nasik, Koraput and Bengaluru. The total contract, which also involves Russia's Sukhoi Aerospace, is worth US$3.2 billion.
Over the years, HAL has designed and developed several platforms like the HF-24 Marut,[41] the Dhruv,[42] the LUH,[43] and the LCH.[44] HAL also manufactures indigenous products with technology transferred from the DRDO, in association with Bharat Electronics for its avionics and Indian Ordnance Factories for the on-board weapons systems and ammunition.
HAL supplies ISRO the integrated L-40 stages for GSLV Mk II, propellant tanks, feed lines of PSLV, GSLV MKII and GSLV MKIII launch vehicles and structures of various satellites.[45]
HAL Tejas — (in service) 4.5 generation light combat aircraft (LCA)
HAL Tejas MK2[46] — 4.5+ generation Medium weight fighter (under development) 2025 first flight expected.
HAL TEDBF — Twin Engine Deck Based Fighter is 4.5+ generation fighter for Indian Navy's aircraft carriers (under development).[47]HAL ORCA version for IAF planned.
Mk.2: 5.5th generation stealth fighter ( it will operate in CATS {combat air teaming system}, a UCAV in the swarm will be equipped with a directed-energy weapon) (planned).
Trainer aircraft
HAL HTT-40 Basic training aircraftHindustan HJT-36 Sitara Intermediate jet trainer
HT-2 — (1951–1990) First company design to enter production. Exported to Ghana. (retired)
HTSE-1200 — a turboshaft engine can be used as engine alternatives for the HAL-developed LUH, Dhruv, Rudra and Prachand helicopters[60] (under development)
Turbojet Engine
HAL HJE-2500 Engine at HAL Museum. Built in 1965, it was the first turbojet engine built by HAL
HTFE-25 — a turbofan engine can be used in single engine trainer jets, business jets and UAVs weighing up to 5 tonnes and in twin engine configuration for same weighing up to 9 tonnes[62] (under development)
Rockets
SSLV (Active): Technolgy Transfer from ISRO. To be built in partnership with L&T.[63][64]
Licensed production
Fighter aircraft
HAL made Su-30MKI HAL made Jaguar
De Havilland Vampire — (retired) first combat jet manufactured by HAL, 250+ FB.52, 60 T.55 models[65]
Dornier 228 — (under production) 117 built with additional fuselage, wings and tail unit for production of the upgraded Dornier 228 NG variant. Sometimes referred to as HAL 228. Several variants including Maritime Surveillance and Utility version under production in at Transport Aircraft Division.
↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 9 March 2012. Retrieved 8 May 2013.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)Flight International 1964
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₹33,542 crore (US$4.0 billion) (2025)
