Success eludes project Kaveri

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Success eludes project Kaveri

PNS | New Delhi

More than two decades after and `3000 crore pumped in, India’s ambitious dream of developing an indigenous fighter jet engine continues to remain unfulfilled. And it shows no signs of materialising in near future too even as its designers now propose to seek foreign help for developing the engine.

The Kaveri engines were supposed to power the indigenously designed and manufactured Tejas Light Combat Aircraft (LCA). The ambitious Kaveri Engine Development Project (KEDP), aimed at indigenisation of the propulsion system for LCA, was sanctioned in 1989 at a cost of `382.81 crore with the probable completion in December 1996.

However, according to the latest report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG), “The prime objective of the project has not been achieved and the Gas Turbine Research Establishment (which manages the project) has been unable to deliver an engine despite a cost overrun of 642 per cent to `2,839 crore and delay of 13 years.”

“The fate of the Kaveri project is highly uncertain as the GTRE is now considering the alternative of entering into a joint venture with a foreign house for further development of the engine. Even after two decades, since its sanction, the probable outcome of the project vis-à-vis its objectives in near future cannot be foreseen clearly,” the CAG report stated.

The CAG report maintained: “While trying to achieve long-term objective of self-reliance, establishing expertise in defence acquisitions, there is a need to achieve a realistic balance between the existing capacities in the country with the urgency and timelines involved in the planned acquisition. Alternative paths of development like entering into a joint venture with an established engine house with transfer of technology were not explored before embarking on this ambitious project.”

As things stand, the IAF has placed an order for two squadrons (one squadron has 20 planes). Given the inordinate delay in the Kaveri project, the government has procured 41 GE engines from the US at a total cost of `883 crore. Moreover, the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), the manufacturer of the LCA, has an option of purchasing 98 more engines from the US.

Designing and developing a fighter jet engine is the most complex and difficult project and only four countries including the US, UK, France and Russia have the expertise in this field.

India wants to join the elite club as success in this venture will propel the Indian aerospace industry into the top league and put the nation in the rank of developed nations, experts said.

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