HAL to co-produce GE F414 for LCA Mk2; Safran to back AMCA engine

New Delhi is moving on multiple fronts to strengthen India’s fighter-jet engine base, with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) preparing to enter commercial talks with General Electric (GE) Aerospace to coproduce the F414 engine for the LCA Mk2, and a parallel collaboration with Safran to develop an advanced domestic jet engine for the indigenous AMCA program, backed by the DRDO’s Gas Turbine Research Establishment in Bengaluru. Officials say the goal is to wrap up terms within three months and begin production weaved into orders for the LCA lineage, as part of a broader push toward self-reliance in defence manufacturing.

The HAL-GE negotiations build on a three-year-old framework under which GE Aerospace and HAL agreed to cooperate on jet-engine production. After the U.S. Congress cleared the arrangement, talks have continued to align commercial terms and technology-transfer specifics. An official said GE Aerospace has agreed to transfer a substantial portion of engine know-how—about 80 percent—though some critical components remain under negotiation. The technical package includes a set of core technologies such as coatings and manufacturing processes for turbine parts and...