Coimbatore: In a significant boost to India’s indigenous defence manufacturing efforts, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has received the first set of wing assemblies for the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Mk1A, manufactured by Larsen & Toubro (L&T) at its Precision Manufacturing & Systems Complex (PMSC) in Coimbatore.
The handover took place on Thursday, with Secretary (Defence Production) Sanjeev Kumar attending the event virtually. The assemblies were formally received by M Abdul Salam, General Manager of HAL’s LCA Tejas Division, highlighting growing public-private collaboration in India’s aerospace sector.
Public-Private Synergy in Defence Production
During his address, Secretary Sanjeev Kumar lauded the partnership between HAL and L&T as a critical example of the government’s Aatmanirbhar Bharat vision in action. He emphasized the importance of building domestic capability to reduce reliance on foreign suppliers and called for expanded collaboration to scale up indigenous defence production.
He praised HAL’s role in nurturing private industry partnerships and its strategic efforts in building capacity across India’s aerospace supply chain.
HAL CMD: A Testament to Hand-Holding and Excellence
Speaking at the event, HAL Chairman & Managing Director Dr. DK Sunil described the handover as a result of years of systematic engagement and capacity-building with private players. “This marks a major step in the parallel development of aircraft structural assembly lines outside HAL, aimed at augmenting capacity for the LCA Tejas program,” he noted.
Dr. Sunil reiterated HAL’s commitment to collaborating with both large firms and MSMEs to achieve self-reliance in aerospace manufacturing.
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L&T to Ramp Up Wing Assembly Production
Arun Ramchandani, Senior Vice President & Head of L&T’s Precision Engineering & Systems, announced that the company will initially deliver four wing sets per year, with plans to scale up to 12 annually using automated and advanced assembly systems. The expansion aligns with the increased demand for LCA Mk1A under the Indian Air Force’s modernization plans.
Robust Supply Chain for LCA Mk1A Taking Shape
The latest handover adds to the growing list of indigenous suppliers contributing structural modules for LCA Mk1A:
- Air Intake Assemblies from Lakshmi Machine Works
- Rear Fuselage from Alpha Tocol
- Loom Assemblies from Amphenol
- Fin & Rudder Assemblies from Tata Advanced Systems
- Centre Fuselage from VEM Technologies
- Wing Assemblies from L&T
These developments underscore the increasing maturity of India’s defence production ecosystem and the robust industrial base supporting the Tejas program.
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