Skip to content
GK24

HAL Koraput to Hand Over 2,000th Aero-Engine in Odisha

Hindustan Aeronautics Limited's Koraput division will deliver its 2,000th aero-engine on 6 October 2026, with a second Shakti engine line set up for Rs 218 crore.

By Published · 2 min read
HAL Koraput to Hand Over 2,000th Aero-Engine in Odisha — GK24 title card

Why in News

The Ministry of Defence announced on 5 October 2026 that Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh will inaugurate the delivery of the 2,000th aero-engine by HAL's Koraput division in Odisha on 6 October 2026, along with a second Shakti engine production line built for Rs 218 crore.

Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) will hand over the 2,000th aero-engine built at its Koraput division in Odisha on 6 October 2026. Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh will inaugurate the milestone event, the Ministry of Defence said on 5 October 2026.

What the milestone marks

The Koraput division has been making aero-engines for close to six decades, and the two-thousandth engine is the ministry's marker of that record in aerospace and defence manufacturing and in keeping the armed forces ready for operations. Aero-engines are among the hardest items in defence manufacturing to master, because a propulsion system has to deliver thrust reliably under extreme heat and stress, and only a handful of countries build them end to end.

A second line for Shakti engines

The event will also mark the setting up of a second production line for Shakti engines, built with an investment of Rs 218 crore. The extra capacity is meant for the growing orders of indigenous helicopters, naming in particular the Dhruv Advanced Light Helicopter and the Prachand Light Combat Helicopter. A second line matters because a single line caps how many engines a year can leave the plant, and helicopter deliveries move only as fast as their engines arrive.

The policy frame

The ministry put the occasion in the frame of its stated aim of turning India from a buyer of defence equipment into a designer, developer and manufacturer of defence systems. Building aero-engine capability at home is treated as a central part of that shift, given how strategically sensitive and technically complex propulsion is, and how long an import dependency in engines can hold back an otherwise indigenous aircraft.

Who will attend

Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, Secretary (Defence Production) Sanjeev Kumar and HAL Chairman and Managing Director Ravi K are among those expected at the ceremony. For Odisha the division is one of the state's larger defence-sector employers, and the new Shakti line adds to that base.

Important Facts

MilestoneDelivery of the 2,000th aero-engine by HAL Koraput
PlantHAL Koraput division, Odisha
Date6 October 2026
Inaugurated byRaksha Mantri Rajnath Singh
New facilitySecond production line for Shakti engines
InvestmentRs 218 crore
Platforms servedDhruv Advanced Light Helicopter and Prachand Light Combat Helicopter
AttendingOdisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, Secretary (Defence Production) Sanjeev Kumar, HAL CMD Ravi K

Exam Point of View

Remember the milestone (2,000th aero-engine), the plant (HAL Koraput division, Odisha), the span (nearly six decades), the new facility (second Shakti engine production line), its cost (Rs 218 crore), the helicopters served (Dhruv ALH and Prachand LCH), the minister and the Odisha Chief Minister's name.

Practice Questions

Q1.DefenceMedium

Which HAL division is marking the delivery of its 2,000th aero-engine?

  1. A.Bengaluru division
  2. B.Koraput division
  3. C.Nashik division
  4. D.Hyderabad division
Show answer

Correct answer: B. Koraput division

Explanation

The correct answer is the Koraput division, which is in Odisha and has been building aero-engines for close to six decades. The two-thousandth engine from this plant is being handed over on 6 October 2026, with the Raksha Mantri inaugurating the event and the Chief Minister of Odisha among those attending. The same occasion marks a second production line for Shakti engines, set up with an investment of Rs 218 crore to meet the growing requirement of indigenous helicopters. Options A, C and D are genuine Hindustan Aeronautics Limited locations, each with its own product lines, which makes them tempting; but the aero-engine milestone belongs to Koraput. Candidates should link the plant, the state and the engine in one go: Koraput, Odisha, Shakti engines.

Q2.DefenceMedium

What is the investment in the second production line for Shakti engines at HAL Koraput?

  1. A.Rs 118 crore
  2. B.Rs 218 crore
  3. C.Rs 418 crore
  4. D.Rs 818 crore
Show answer

Correct answer: B. Rs 218 crore

Explanation

The correct answer is Rs 218 crore. That is the investment behind the second Shakti engine production line being highlighted at the Koraput event, and the added capacity is intended for indigenous helicopter platforms, named in the announcement as the Dhruv Advanced Light Helicopter and the Prachand Light Combat Helicopter. A second line matters because output from a single line sets a ceiling on how many engines can be delivered in a year, and helicopter production cannot run ahead of its engines. The other three figures are not from this announcement. Keep the two numbers of the day apart: two thousand is the count of engines delivered since the plant began, while two hundred and eighteen crore rupees is the money put into the new line.

Q3.DefenceEasy

The extra Shakti engine capacity at HAL Koraput will mainly serve which platforms?

  1. A.Tejas and Rafale fighter aircraft
  2. B.Dhruv Advanced Light Helicopter and Prachand Light Combat Helicopter
  3. C.Dornier and Saras transport aircraft
  4. D.Rustom and Tapas unmanned aircraft
Show answer

Correct answer: B. Dhruv Advanced Light Helicopter and Prachand Light Combat Helicopter

Explanation

The correct answer is the Dhruv Advanced Light Helicopter and the Prachand Light Combat Helicopter, both indigenous rotary-wing platforms named in the announcement as the users of the growing Shakti engine output. The second line at Koraput, set up with an investment of Rs 218 crore, exists to meet their rising requirement. Option A lists fighter aircraft, which use different engines altogether. Options C and D name transport and unmanned platforms that are not tied to the Shakti engine in this announcement. The wider point the ministry makes is that building propulsion systems at home is what moves India from being a buyer of defence equipment to a designer, developer and manufacturer of defence systems, since an engine import dependency can hold back an otherwise indigenous aircraft.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which HAL division is delivering its 2,000th aero-engine?

The Koraput division in Odisha, which has been making aero-engines for nearly six decades. The 2,000th engine is being handed over on 6 October 2026.

What is the investment in the second Shakti engine line?

Rs 218 crore. The extra line at HAL Koraput will serve the growing requirements of the Dhruv Advanced Light Helicopter and the Prachand Light Combat Helicopter.

Which helicopters use the Shakti engine?

The announcement names the indigenous Dhruv Advanced Light Helicopter and the Prachand Light Combat Helicopter as the platforms the added engine capacity will support.

Sources