India set to dilute HAL’s monopoly on programs
by Neelam Mathews Few companies can lay claim to having as many as 10 aircraft planned or under development simultaneously, but India’s state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. (HAL) is doing just that. However, while the Bangalore-based group’s ambitions may be laudable, it remains to be seen how it will face the formidable challenges of its current and planned projects. To achieve its goal of being a global defense firm with revenues of $6 billion within the next 10 years, HAL is planning to produce a light combat aircraft (LCA), a light utility helicopter (LUH), a medium multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA), a fifth-generation fighter, a multi-role transport aircraft and a basic trainer. It has 19 production facilities and 10 research-and-design centers at eight locations in India. The company also has manufactured numerous aircraft under license. However, recently there have been indications that the Indian industry isn’t managing to join up the dots in its ...