New Delhi: CB Ananthakrishnan, the Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), said that the HAL’s helicopter factory in Karnataka’s Tumakuru will play a big role in the manufacturing of helicopters as he expressed hope that India can become a manufacturing hub for helicopters in years to come.
“A range of helicopters need to be manufactured by HAL currently and in the years to come. This would mean there is a need to augment the capacity in a big way and that is the reason the Tumakuru plant was initiated,” he said, as per news agency ANI.
He added, “It will play a big role in the manufacturing of helicopters. Probably in years to come, India will become a manufacturing hub for helicopters with Tumakuru and Bengaluru units.”
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday inaugurated the helicopter factory in Karnataka’s Tumakuru and also unveiled light utility helicopters for the defence forces.
Addressing the event, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh mentioned that the foundation stone for the helicopter plant was laid by PM Modi in 2016 and that it is an example of the Centre’s continued commitment towards the indigenisation of defence manufacturing in the country.
He emphasised that India was marching ahead to becoming a hub of manufacturing, especially in defence equipment, for the world.
“In the forseeable future, India will once again be the centre of manufacturing, especially defence manufacturing, for the world. The journey has already begun, and today’s inauguration ceremony is proof of that,” Rajnath Singh said, as per ANI.
The HAL Helicopter Factory in Tumakuru is a dedicated new greenfield helicopter factory which will enhance the capacity and ecosystem to build helicopters, the Prime Minister’s Office informed.
It is Asia’s largest helicopter manufacturing facility and will initially produce Light Utility Helicopters (LUH). LUH is an indigenously designed and developed 3-ton class, single-engine multipurpose utility helicopter with the unique feature of high manoeuvrability.