DK Sunil, who joined HAL as a management trainee and has been with the firm for 37 years, replaces CB Ananthakrishnan, who retired on Saturday

DK Sunil, who has spearheaded several key aerospace programs and is known for his design expertise, will take over as the next chief of the Bangalore-based Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) on Sunday as the aircraft maker gears up to execute some critical projects for the armed forces.

He replaces CB Ananthakrishnan who retired on Saturday.

Sunil, who joined HAL as a management trainee, has been with the firm for 37 years and contributed significantly to design, production, quality enhancement and customer support, HAL said in a statement on Saturday, announcing his appointment as chairman and managing director (additional charge). He will continue to head engineering, and research and development.

DK Sunil was the frontrunner for the top job at a time when HAL is at a critical juncture --- it is grappling with a delay in the Tejas light combat aircraft (TEJAS MK-1A) program, working towards finalising a deal for joint production of jet engines in the country, and awaiting orders worth tens of thousands of crores for new fighter planes and helicopters.

Sunil’s extensive design expertise ranges from equipment to system-level projects for both aircraft and helicopters, covering the entire spectrum of HAL’s design activities, the statement said.

“During his tenure at the Mission Combat Systems R&D Centre in Bangalore, he led teams focused on ground breaking projects such as the advanced active electronically scanned array radar for fighters, automatic flight control system for the light combat helicopter and mission computers for helicopters and fighter platforms.”

Several new technologies were developed under his leadership, including radar power supply, modern voice activated control systems and combined interrogator/transponder systems for identification of friendly and hostile aircraft.

Accelerating the TEJAS MK-1A program will be one of his top priorities as a question mark hangs over HAL’s ability to meet the delivery timeline of the 83 TEJAS MK-1As on order. IAF is unhappy with the current pace of the program because of the possible risks the delay in the induction of new fighter planes could pose to the air force’s combat effectiveness, and has flagged the hot-button issue to HAL, calling for timely execution of the ₹48,000-crore contract.

HAL had then said it will deliver 16 of these fighters to IAF in FY 2024-25 as per schedule. It also said it hoped to deliver all the 83 aircraft on order by 2028-29. Many in the air force are sceptical about the TEJAS MK-1A deadlines being met, and one of the main reasons for that is the lingering delay in the supply of the F404 engines to HAL by US firm GE Aerospace.

Sunil also takes over at a time when HAL is negotiating a deal with GE Aerospace for the joint production of GE-F414 engines in India. The two firms signed a memorandum of understanding in Washington in June 2023 to produce 99 F414 engines for India’s future TEJAS MK-2 program. The joint production of the engines will help the country overcome a striking technology gap, lay the foundation for indigenous development of bigger jet engines and possibly open doors to exports.

Big Orders Are In The Pipeline For HAL

The defence ministry could award it a contract by the year-end for 97 more TEJAS MK-1As to strengthen the air force’s capabilities. It is estimated to be worth ₹67,000 crore. The upcoming deal will be the second order for the TEJAS MK-1A after the ministry awarded HAL the ₹48,000-crore contract for 83 such aircraft in February 2021.

Also, in June 2024, the defence ministry issued a tender to HAL for the proposed acquisition of 156 Prachand light combat helicopters (LCH) to sharpen the capabilities of the Indian Army and IAF. The new helicopters, 90 for the army and 66 for IAF, are estimated to cost ₹50,000 crore and will further boost India’s self-reliance drive.