PM Modi To Inaugurate Asia's Largest Helicopter Manufacturing Facility In Karnataka's Tumakuru On 6 February

In yet another step towards Aatmanirbharta in the defence sector, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will dedicate to the nation the HAL Helicopter Factory in Karnataka's Tumakuru on 6 February, an official release said on Saturday (4 February).

The foundation stone of the facility was also laid by PM Modi in 2016.

The facility is a dedicated new greenfield helicopter factory which will enhance capacity and ecosystem to build helicopters.

This helicopter factory is Asia’s largest helicopter manufacturing facility and will initially produce the Light Utility Helicopters (LUH), the PMO said in a release.

LUH is an indigenously designed and developed 3-tonne class, single engine multipurpose utility helicopter with unique feature of high manoeuvrability.

The factory will be expanded to manufacture other helicopters such as Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) and Indian Multirole Helicopter (IMRH) as well as for repair and overhaul of LCH, LUH, Civil ALH and IMRH in the future.

The factory also has the potential for exporting the civilian LUHs in future, the PMO said.

This facility will enable India to meet its entire requirement of helicopters indigenously and will attain the distinction of enabling self-reliance in helicopter design, development and manufacture in India.

The factory will have a manufacturing set up of Industry 4.0 standards. 

According to the PMO, over the next 20 years, HAL is planning to produce more than 1000 helicopters in the class of 3-15 tonnes from Tumakuru.

"This will result in providing employment for around 6000 people in the region," the PMO said.