SOURCE: IDRW.ORG
In a significant boost to India’s quest for self-reliance in aerospace technology, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh recently emphasized the urgent need for Indian-made jet engines to power the nation’s fighter jets and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Speaking at a defense industry conclave in New Delhi on April 30, 2025, Singh announced that the government will allocate additional funds to accelerate the development of the Kaveri engine program, a long-standing initiative led by the Gas Turbine Research Establishment (GTRE) under the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
While Singh did not specify whether the funding will support the ongoing Kaveri Derivative Engine (KDE) program—intended to power a 13-ton stealth unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) named Ghatak—or the proposed Kaveri 2.0 engine targeting 90kN of thrust, his statement has sparked optimism about India’s aerospace ambitions.
Singh’s remarks come at a critical juncture for India’s defense sector, which has long relied on foreign engines like the GE F404 and F414 to power its indigenous Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas. “Our skies must be powered by engines built in India, for India,” Singh declared, underscoring the strategic imperative of reducing dependence on imports amid geopolitical uncertainties. The minister highlighted the government’s commitment to fostering self-reliance through the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative, with aero-engine development identified as a priority area.
The Kaveri engine program, initiated in 1989 to power the LCA Tejas, has faced numerous challenges, including thrust deficiencies and weight issues, leading to its delinking from the Tejas program in 2008. Despite setbacks, GTRE has made significant strides in recent years. The KDE, a non-afterburning variant producing 46-49kN of thrust, has been cleared for inflight testing as of December 2024 and is set to power the 13-ton Ghatak UCAV, a stealth platform designed for precision strikes and surveillance. Meanwhile, GTRE has proposed the Kaveri 2.0, an advanced version aiming to deliver 90kN of wet thrust, which could potentially power future variants of the Tejas Mk1A and MkII, currently reliant on GE engines.
Singh’s announcement of additional funding is poised to inject new momentum into the Kaveri program, which has historically been hampered by limited resources and technological challenges. The program’s cost, estimated at ?20 billion (approximately US$587.3 million in 2023 terms) by 2009, has been a point of contention, with critics citing cost overruns and delays. However, recent progress—such as the KDE’s successful high-altitude tests in Russia in 2023, where it achieved 48.5kN of thrust—has renewed confidence in GTRE’s capabilities.
While Singh did not clarify the allocation split between the KDE and Kaveri 2.0 programs, industry analysts suggest that the funding will likely support both. The KDE program, already in an advanced stage, requires resources for inflight trials on a flying test bed (FTB) and integration with the Ghatak UCAV. These trials, scheduled to take place in Russia later in 2025, will validate the engine’s reliability and performance in real-world conditions, a crucial step toward operational deployment.
The proposed Kaveri 2.0, however, represents a more ambitious goal. GTRE aims to develop a new engine core capable of generating 55-58kN of dry thrust, with an afterburner boosting it to 90kN—placing it in the same class as the GE F414 (98kN) used in the Tejas MkII. This engine could address India’s long-term needs for a domestically produced powerplant for manned fighters, reducing reliance on foreign suppliers constrained by export controls like the U.S. International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR).
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