New Delhi, Aug 2026 : Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has entered into strategic partnerships with Adani Defence Systems and Technologies Limited and Bharat Earth Movers Limited (BEML) for manufacturing fuselage aerostructures for India’s indigenously developed Prachand Light Combat Helicopter (LCH).
Under the agreements, the two companies will manufacture a combined 90 helicopter fuselage structures. Adani Defence will produce 42 structures, while BEML will manufacture the remaining 48, significantly expanding the industrial base supporting HAL’s Prachand production programme.
The collaboration marks the first time private industry has been brought into the production of helicopter fuselage structures in India, representing a significant development in the country’s aerospace manufacturing ecosystem.
HAL Chairman and Managing Director Ravi K described the partnerships as an important step towards strengthening India’s domestic aerospace capabilities. He said the collaboration would help increase production capacity, strengthen indigenous supply chains and expand the participation of Indian companies in advanced defence manufacturing.
The agreements were signed by Tushar Ranjan Behera, General Manager of HAL’s Helicopter Division; RGK Rao, Executive Director of Aerospace and Maritime at BEML; and Prasanna Karthik, Vice-President of Adani Defence Systems and Technologies Limited. Senior officials from the three organisations attended the signing ceremony.
The move comes as HAL prepares to undertake a major production programme following contracts signed with the Ministry of Defence in March 2025 for the supply of 156 Prachand helicopters to the Indian Armed Forces.
The contracts, valued at approximately ₹62,700 crore, cover 66 helicopters for the Indian Air Force and 90 for the Indian Army. Deliveries are scheduled to commence in 2028 and are expected to be completed over five years. The programme also includes training and associated equipment.
The Prachand is India’s first indigenously designed and developed combat helicopter and has been specifically engineered to operate in demanding high-altitude environments. Capable of operating at altitudes exceeding 5,000 metres, the helicopter is intended to provide the armed forces with enhanced combat capability in mountainous and high-altitude areas.
The induction of BEML and Adani Defence into fuselage manufacturing is expected to play an important role in enabling HAL to meet the production demands arising from the large-scale helicopter order.
The expanded industrial partnership also supports the government’s Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative by increasing the participation of Indian public and private sector companies in the defence supply chain. By distributing manufacturing responsibilities among multiple domestic enterprises, HAL is seeking to broaden its supplier base and build greater resilience and capacity within the aerospace ecosystem.
The ₹62,700-crore Prachand programme is among the largest helicopter procurement initiatives undertaken by India. With fuselage production being expanded through partnerships with BEML and Adani Defence, the programme is expected to improve manufacturing efficiency, support timely deliveries and strengthen India’s long-term capability to design, manufacture and sustain advanced combat aviation platforms domestically.
The collaboration therefore represents more than an expansion of production capacity. It signals a broader shift towards deeper public-private participation in India’s defence manufacturing sector, with domestic companies increasingly being integrated into complex aerospace programmes and critical components of military platforms.
(The content of this article is sourced from a news agency and has not been edited by the Mavericknews30 team.)
