SOURCE: RAUNAK KUNDE / NEWS BEAT / IDRW.ORG
Godrej Aerospace, a key player in India’s defence manufacturing ecosystem, has expressed a strong desire to join the Gas Turbine Research Establishment (GTRE) in developing a fifth-generation fighter jet engine for the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) program. Having already manufactured critical modules for the Kaveri Derivate Engine (KDE)—a stepping stone in India’s indigenous aero-engine journey—the Mumbai-based firm sees this as a natural progression. Maneck Behramkamdin, Assistant Vice President and Business Head of Godrej Aerospace emphasized the company’s readiness, highlighting how its existing expertise positions it as a vital partner in this ambitious endeavour.
Speaking to industry stakeholders in February 2025, Behramkamdin underscored the continuity between current capabilities and future demands. “As far as manufacturing is concerned, I can speak yes. This is a stepping stone for the learning for the industry,” he said. “The 5th generation engine would be much technologically advanced, but as far as manufacturing is concerned, it will be the same.
The alloys would be the same, the welding would be the same, the heat treatment, the surface treatment required would be the same.” His remarks signal confidence that the technological leap to a fifth-generation engine, while complex in design, leverages familiar production techniques—a boon for India’s self-reliance goals.
Godrej Aerospace’s involvement with the KDE, an offshoot of the long-troubled Kaveri engine project, has honed its skills in precision engineering. The KDE, developed by GTRE under the DRDO, powers India’s Ghatak stealth UCAV and marine applications, delivering 46-52 kN of thrust. Godrej supplied critical components—turbine blades, compressor discs, and combustor modules—mastering high-temperature alloys like nickel-based superalloys, advanced welding (e.g., electron beam techniques), and heat treatments to withstand 1,500°C+ conditions. These skills, Behramkamdin argues, are directly transferable to a fifth-generation engine requiring 110-130 kN for the AMCA MkII.
A fifth-generation engine demands exceptional performance: supercruise (sustained Mach 1+ without afterburners), stealth via low infrared signatures, and durability exceeding 4,000 hours—far beyond the Kaveri’s original 20 kN dry thrust. Yet, the metallurgical precision—tolerances in microns—and quality control Godrej has perfected align with these needs. “The alloys, like Inconel or titanium aluminides, and the processes remain consistent,” Behramkamdin noted, suggesting that the leap is more about design sophistication than manufacturing reinvention.
The AMCA, India’s 5.5-generation stealth fighter, is set for its MkI debut in 2028 with the GE F414 (98 kN), but the MkII—planned for the mid-2030s—requires a more powerful engine to achieve supercruise and a 6,500 kg payload. GTRE’s earlier Kaveri struggles—abandoned for fighters in 2014 after ?2,000 crore—left India reliant on foreign engines, a gap the DRDO aims to close with a ?15,000 crore sanction in 2024 for an indigenous solution. Talks with Safran (France) and Rolls-Royce (UK) for co-development persist, but Godrej’s pitch underscores the private sector’s readiness to bolster this effort domestically.
Behramkamdin’s optimism hinges on Godrej’s track record. Beyond KDE, the company has supplied thrust chambers for ISRO’s Vikas engine and components for BrahMos missiles, mastering single-crystal blade casting and creep-resistant alloys—hallmarks of fifth-generation engines like the U.S. F135 or Russia’s AL-51. “If such technologies are developed domestically, it will entail a significant boost to India’s program,” he said, envisioning a ripple effect across aerospace and industrial ecosystems.
NOTE: Article cannot be reproduced without written permission of idrw.org in any form even for YouTube Videos to avoid Copy right strikes. Websites doing illegal reproductions will get DMCA and Legal Notices.