Azad Engineering will build a fully integrated advanced turbo engine for DRDO

Hyderabad-based precision engineering company Azad Engineering Limited (Azad) has bagged a prestigious contract from the Ministry of Defense (MoD) to function as a manufacturing agency for engines designed by the Gas Turbine Research Establishment (GTRE), Bengaluru.

GTRE, the premier engine design laboratory of the Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO), has a track record of failures in designing and developing high-performance aircraft engines such as the Kaveri gas turbine, which would power the supersonic Tejas Mark 1. fighter. The Kaveri was never able to generate the required thrust of 85 kiloNewtons (kN).

The current long-term contract includes the production and assembly of a so-called Advanced Gas Turbine Engine (AGTE). This is intended to power a range of defense applications including the Kaveri turbofan engine for the Tejas fighter, the Marine Gas Turbine Engine (MGTE) for the Indian Navy’s future warships and a gas turbine engine to power the Navy’s tank and infantry fighting vehicle Indian Army. (ICV) fleet.

Azad is scheduled to begin delivering its first batch of fully integrated engines in early 2026.

India has consistently demonstrated its ability to create premium engine designs using indigenous technology. The challenge for Azad Engineering will be to translate these exceptional designs into engines that deliver the desired power or meet mission-critical objectives.

Azad will now operate in three verticals: energy, aerospace, defense and oil and gas. “We have now expanded our manufacturing capabilities to provide end-to-end manufacturing for a fully assembled advanced turbocharged engine… Our commitment to excellence positions us well to enhance India’s defense manufacturing capabilities and establish a strong presence in the country’s defense manufacturing landscape. These improvements will enable us to serve a new era of defense applications,” said Rakesh Chopdar, Head of Azad Engineering.

Azad produces complex and highly engineered precision forged and machined components critical to mission and life. Some of its products have a defect requirement of “zero parts per million.”

These critical products include 3D rotating turbine engine wing/blade sections and other critical components for (a) gas, nuclear and thermal turbines used in industrial applications or power generation, and (b) defense and civil aircraft and spacecraft.

Azad’s customers include General Electric, Honeywell International Inc., Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd., Siemens Energy, Eaton Aerospace and MAN Energy Solutions SE.

First print: May 23, 2024 | 11:33 PM IST