by Debashis Nandi

One of India’s enduring challenges in military and civil aviation has been the inability of Indian industry and research agencies to design and produce an indigenous jet engine. Indian civil aviation industry fully imports its aircraft, and the lack of an indigenous engine stymies any attempt by institutions like NAL and HAL from being able to bring out even a small jet-powered civilian plane. In military aviation, the same saga continues, with the much-hyped and then much-maligned indigenous Kaveri jet engine being separated from the Tejas fighter jet program and then left to die a slow death. Our indigenous program to build fighter jets is having to make to do with foreign engines, which themselves are only doled out to us rather miserly by the US.

After going through inputs that is available online, I am convinced that none from West is going to share jet engine tech with India... not even for money. In this context I refer to previous article India's Jet Engine Dilemma: A Call For Action by Chiranjeevi Bhat dated 22 Jan 2022. In this article, following suggestion, I consider very convincing, practical and logical were suggested - Quote: "110 KN or 130 KN, how are we going to make an indigenous engine when we don’t even make a single kind of jet engine in our country?"

India has to innovate here. We have to entrust this project to private Indian and foreign companies with 100% FDI allowing in the design and production of a jet engine. India should set aside at least $500 million for the 130 KN engine project. All jet engine manufacturers or consortia should be allowed to bid, with a detailed design and test program submitted to win the design contract. India should award at least 2 design contracts of equal amount to the top 2 entities and a time frame of 24 months, consortia should be distributed funds in a staggered manner based on the progress of the design and testing contract.

At every stage of design review and testing, IAF and ADA/GTRE officials should evaluate and recommend changes if any. At the end of the 24-month period, India should carry out a complete cost analysis of the two projects, to evaluate the lowest bidder who shall be given 60% of the contract to build engines while the other bidder should be given 40 % of the contract. Any export of the engines could be allowed with the permission of the government. The Supplier Quality Requirements (SQR) for the engines should be limited to power ratings (dry and wet), specific fuel consumption, length and radius dimensions each stage, temperature/ compression ratio limitations and minimum power take-off from the alternator, minimum service life, maximum mean time between overhaul/ breakdown and overall integrated life cycle cost.

By assisting companies in designing an engine, India can also allow companies to innovate without risk, enabling smaller players a chance to emerge. Moreover, new ventures with Indian private companies can also take off, with smaller foreign partners, apart from the big three of Rolls Royce, Safran, Rosoboronexport, Pratt & Whitney and General Electric. It shall also allow joint ventures like Turbo Union, smaller European firms, Russian and Japanese IHI etc. to innovate in a mutually beneficial manner in conjunction with an Indian firm.

If design contracts are awarded by end of 2024, we can obtain a successful test of one or two prototype engines by 2026, and by 2028, production can begin. The reason for such a short timeline is that no company can build a greenfield engine of this rating unless they have prior experience developing advanced turbofan engines, as an illustration SAFRAN, a thoroughbred engine manufacturer with years of experience took nearly 15 years to develop their M-88 engine which powers the Rafale jets. Therefore, the proposed engine would be an up-gradation or an up-rating of an existing engine thereby requiring lesser time to develop and build. This shall allow India to start the production of AMCA / TEDBF design with 130 KN engines right off the start. 

 At this point India should press hard only this option, by all means, both diplomatically and by offering a good price. And I am sure even this will not yield any result as west will adopt every trick to prevent India from progressing, succeeding in it's goal. And if no one contender agree to the above offer, it is a clear indication of their intention to prevent and to upset, to frustrate India to go for off the shelf purchase at a very exorbitant price. Since last 5/6 years India is in ponder/procrastinate/ponder/procrastinate mode. I am unable to understand why Ministers in GOI and Defence honchos are not realizing it.

And only option to adopt now is (though unpleasant) 

1) Go for TOT offer of best available Russian jet engine at a considerable cheaper cost and
2) Invest a good amount of money for R&D for an indigenous jet engine.

This piece is being published as it has been received – the article has not been edited/fact-checked by IDN