Rajnath Singh reviews indigenous aero engine projects at Gas Turbine Research Establishment, calls for 6th-gen focus
Bengaluru, February 16. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on February 16 visited the Gas Turbine Research Establishment (GTRE) in Bengaluru to review progress on indigenous military gas turbine engine development, stressing the urgent need to achieve self-reliance in critical aero engine technologies.
During the visit, Singh was briefed on ongoing and upcoming projects, GTRE’s collaboration with Indian industry, academia and R&D institutions, and the lab’s support to the armed forces. He also toured an exhibition of indigenous engines and components and witnessed a full afterburner engine test of the Kaveri engine.
Interacting with scientists and officials, the Defence Minister praised GTRE’s contribution to strengthening national security through indigenisation, describing the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) as the bedrock of India’s strategic capability. He emphasised that in an increasingly volatile geopolitical environment, achieving ‘Aatmanirbharta’ (self-reliance) in aero engine technology is critical.
“Supply chains are breaking and new ecosystems are emerging. Nations that possess indigenous critical technologies will remain safe and secure,” Singh said, reiterating the government’s resolve under Prime Minister Narendra Modi to ensure self-reliance across sectors.
Calling aero engine development a complex endeavour involving thermodynamics, materials science, fluid mechanics and advanced mechanical engineering, Singh urged scientists to accelerate timelines. Noting that developed nations often take 25 to 30 years to build next-generation engines, he said India must compress that timeframe to five to seven years in view of strategic imperatives.
He also pushed for work on next-generation propulsion systems, including sixth-generation engine technologies, even as India advances the design and development of the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA). Singh underlined the growing role of artificial intelligence, machine learning and advanced materials in future engine development and urged researchers to stay ahead of technological curves.
Referring to Operation Sindoor, the Defence Minister said the armed forces had demonstrated growing self-reliance during the operation, with indigenous communication systems, surveillance equipment and weapon platforms boosting troop morale and national pride.
Singh also lauded GTRE’s collaborative studies with the United Kingdom on aero engine development and said similar processes have been initiated with France under the National Aero Engine Mission. Such partnerships, he noted, would provide India access to advanced technologies and insights into decades of global experience in propulsion development.
Highlighting the broader economic implications, Singh said high-temperature composites and other advanced technologies being developed at GTRE could have dual-use applications in civil aviation, power generation and the space sector. With India emerging as one of the world’s fastest-growing civil aviation markets, breakthroughs in defence aero engines could significantly contribute to economic growth.
He further called for leveraging global economic opportunities, referring to the recently concluded India-European Union free trade agreement, which had been under negotiation for nearly two decades. The pact, he said, reflects India’s growing economic and political stature. He also mentioned his recent meeting with Greece’s defence minister, who described India not merely as an emerging power but as a superpower.
Secretary, Department of Defence R&D and DRDO Chairman Samir V Kamat, along with senior GTRE scientists and officials, were present during the visit.
