HAL Ties Up with BEML, Adani Defence to Build Prachand LCH Fuselages

Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has brought Bharat Earth Movers Limited (BEML) and Adani Defence Systems and Technologies Limited into the production chain for the fuselages of India’s indigenous Prachand Light Combat Helicopter (LCH), widening private-sector involvement in one of the country’s key military aerospace programmes.

Under the new arrangement, BEML will build 48 fuselages and Adani Defence will manufacture 42, while HAL will continue to produce the remaining fuselage structures as part of the ongoing series-production programme. The move is significant because it is the first time private industry has been integrated into helicopter fuselage production for the Prachand, according to HAL Chairman and Managing Director Ravi K.

HAL is currently carrying out orders worth ₹62,700 crore for 156 Prachand helicopters. The order book covers 90 aircraft for the Indian Army and 66 for the Indian Air Force, placing the programme among India’s largest indigenous helicopter production efforts. The aircraft is intended to strengthen the country’s combat helicopter fleet with a platform designed for demanding operational conditions.

HAL said the participation of BEML and Adani Defence is expected to lift production capacity, deepen the domestic supply chain and expand India’s aerospace manufacturing base. The company also expects the arrangement to create more work for micro, small and medium enterprises, along with component makers and specialist aerospace suppliers, helping to build a wider ecosystem for the manufacture and maintenance of advanced military helicopters.

From limited series production to a more capable variant

The helicopters now entering series production will include a range of upgrades over the Limited Series Production (LSP) versions already in service with the Army and Air Force. HAL said the new aircraft will feature locally developed air-to-ground missiles, laser-guided rockets, advanced electronic warfare systems, nuclear detection capability, secure datalink systems, obstacle-avoidance technology and directed infrared countermeasures.

So far, HAL has manufactured and delivered 15 LSP Prachand helicopters, including 10 for the Indian Air Force and five for the Indian Army. These aircraft are equipped with air-to-air missiles, unguided rockets and turret guns.

The Prachand is designed for operations in high-altitude and difficult terrain, making it particularly relevant for India’s mountainous border areas. Its specialised design and weapons fit are intended to provide additional support to ground forces operating in such environments.

Industrial expansion at Tumakuru

HAL has already expanded its helicopter manufacturing footprint through its facility at Tumakuru in Karnataka, where Prachand production is being undertaken. The facility was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2023 and has been developed as a major hub for indigenous helicopter manufacturing.

Spread across about 615 acres, the Tumakuru plant is planned to produce multiple helicopter platforms, including the Light Utility Helicopter and future Indian Multi-Role Helicopter variants. HAL said the site currently has the capacity to build around 30 helicopters a year, with that number potentially rising to around 100 helicopters of different types if additional investment and sufficient orders materialise.

Deliveries of the newly ordered Prachand helicopters are expected to begin in 2027-28, and HAL expects the full 156-aircraft order to be completed over the following five years.

HAL said the indigenous content of the Prachand currently stands at around 45% by value. That figure is expected to rise progressively to more than 65% in the later aircraft of the series-production programme, in line with the government’s push to increase domestic content in defence platforms.

The aircraft and the broader production plan also fit into the government’s Make in India and Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiatives. The LCH has been included in the positive indigenisation lists, which are intended to reduce reliance on imported defence equipment and promote domestic manufacturing.

The HAL-BEML-Adani partnership therefore goes beyond a simple expansion of the Prachand assembly line. It points to a larger shift in which public- and private-sector companies are taking on more responsibility in the manufacture of critical aerospace structures, with the potential to create a more resilient domestic supply chain for future military aviation programmes.