First centre fuselage for LCA Tejas Mk 1A handed over to HAL

New Delhi, May 30 (UNI) In a significant boost to India's indigenous defence manufacturing capabilities, the first centre fuselage assembly for the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas Mk1A was handed over to Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) by VEM Technologies in Hyderabad on Friday.
The handover took place in the presence of Secretary (Defence Production) Sanjeev Kumar and Chairman & Managing Director (CMD) of HAL, DK Sunil, a Defence Ministry statement said.
This event marks the first time a major sub-assembly for the LCA Tejas is being manufactured by a private Indian company.
Speaking on the occasion, Sanjeev Kumar hailed the partnership between HAL and VEM Technologies in accelerating the production of LCA Mk 1A.
He said, "There is a significant growth in defence production at a rate of about 10 percent annually, as well as in our defence exports. This would not have been possible without the support of industries and Public Sector Units like HAL. Security and sovereignty of the country are paramount and cannot be achieved without our own manufacturing and supply of spare parts, which could meet the requirements of the Armed Forces".
CMD, HAL, acknowledged the rapid growth of Tier 1 and MSME suppliers in the production of the LCA Tejas.
The handover marked a significant milestone in establishing a fourth production line for the LCA Mk1A, in addition to the two existing lines in HAL-Bengaluru and one in HAL-Nashik. He assured that with major sub-assemblies underway, HAL will increase the production of the LCA aircraft and ensure timely deliveries to the Indian Air Force.
HAL has built a national aerospace ecosystem by closely supporting private partners and providing critical inputs such as jigs, fixtures, tools, and technical know-how. This has enabled companies like L&T, Alpha Tocol, Tata Advanced Systems Ltd (TASL), VEM Technologies, and Lakshmi Machine Works (LMW) to produce complex sub-assemblies such as centre fuselages, fuel drop tanks, pylons, rear fuselages, wings, fins, rudders, and air intakes.
The LCA Tejas Division has already received structural modules of air intake assemblies, rear fuselage assemblies, loom assemblies, and fin and rudder assemblies in the Mk1A configuration. HAL plans to extend this outsourcing model to future projects, reinforcing its in-house capacity with the expertise of Indian industry.
In line with the vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat, HAL continues to drive indigenisation efforts in the aerospace and defence sector.
In the last three years, HAL has placed orders worth Rs 13,763 crore with Indian vendors and is actively pursuing the indigenisation of complex aircraft systems and critical components across platforms. UNI RBE SSP

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

First Post

38 minutes ago

• First Post

Will India be hit if Iran closes Strait of Hormuz? How will West Asia war impact trade?

With the US inserting itself in the Israel-Iran conflict, more uncertainty grips the world. The Islamic Republic has threatened to close the Strait of Hormuz, a key oil supply route. With global oil prices rising, will India feel the pinch? What else should the everyday Indian be worried about with no end to the war in sight? read more Oil tankers pass through the Strait of Hormuz. Iran has threatened to close this key oil supply route after US attacked its nuclear sites on Sunday (June 22). File photo/Reuters It's a jittery Monday. A day after the US struck nuclear sites in Iran, there are concerns about disruption in the energy markets, even more so after Iran's parliament approved a motion calling for the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, the oil artery of the world. While the final call on this crucial oil supply route will be taken by Iran's Supreme National Security Council, oil prices on Monday hit a five-month high before easing and Asian markets slid. India will be impacted as uncertainty continues over the US and Iran's next movie. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD New Delhi has stakes in both Israel and Iran, and a prolonged conflict could hit everything from oil supply, trade and the rupee. We analyse how prepared India is for the fallout from the West Asia crisis. Strait of Hormuz and India's oil trade India is watching closely if Iran will act on its threat and shut down the Strait of Hormuz , the world's most critical oil transit checkpoint. The Islamic Republic has never done this in the past, though similar warnings have been issued on multiple occasions. Iran is the world's ninth-biggest oil-producing country with an output of nearly 3.3 million barrels a day. India, the world's third-largest consumer of crude oil, depends heavily on imports to meet more than 85 per cent of its requirements. However, Indian refiners do not purchase crude from Iran, as its energy sector is sanctioned by the US, The Indian Express reports. India has also shifted its oil procurement strategy with a focus on Russia and the US. Imports from Russia increased after the Ukraine invasion because of good discounts following Western sanctions. American oil shipments to India increased to 439,000 barrels per day in June, higher than the 280,000 bpd in the earlier month. The dependence on West Asian countries is slowly reducing. But India still gets its crude oil from Iraq, Saudi Arabia and the UAE. It also purchases oil from Kuwait, Qatar, and Oman. The Strait of Hormuz, then, matters to India as close to 47 per cent of this imported crude is transported via this route, the report says. So if the oil supply channel is disrupted, the distribution in the supply chain will hit India. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The shutting down of the narrow passage would have significant global repercussions across energy markets, and it will impact India's energy security as well, Dr Laxman Kumar Behera, associate professor at Special Centre for National Security Studies at the Jawaharlal Nehru University, told news agency PTI. According to Behera, any disruption in the critical shipping lane, which is a geopolitical flashpoint, will majorly impact India's crude oil imports from Iraq and, to an extent, from Saudi Arabia. A map showing the Strait of Hormuz and Iran is seen behind a 3D-printed oil pipeline in this illustration. A big percentage of India's imported crude comes via this route. Reuters However, the Indian government says it is prepared. Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said for the past two weeks, India has been closely monitoring the evolving geopolitical situation in West Asia. 'Under PM Narendra Modi's leadership, India has diversified its supplies over the past few years, reducing reliance on the Strait of Hormuz,' he said. 'Our oil marketing companies have several weeks of supplies and continue to receive energy from various routes. We will take all necessary steps to ensure the stability of fuel supplies for our citizens.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Puri said if India imports only about 1.5 million barrels through this route, it will turn to other suppliers to fill the gap if the strait is closed. Behind-the-scenes negotiations are reportedly underway to ensure that Russia, Qatar, and African countries provide more oil without relying on the Strait of Hormuz, reports News18. Fuga Bluemarine crude oil tanker lies at anchor near the terminal Kozmino in Nakhodka Bay near the port city of Nakhodka, Russia. Russian oil imports to India measured 1.96 million barrels per day in May. Reuters Inflation While India might have enough oil supplies for now, it is likely to be affected by the disruptions if the oil route is shut. In such a scenario, oil prices could see a jump. 'Oil prices are expected to surge due to increased tensions in the region, with some analysts predicting prices to reach $80-$ 90 per barrel or even $00 per barrel if Iran responds with retaliatory measures,' said Captain D K Sharma (retd), a former Indian Navy spokesperson, who closely follows developments in the Gulf region. Some experts even hit that it could touch $120 per barrel. The surge in prices will have a domino effect in India. If oil prices rise, it will lead to higher energy and shipping costs, leading to domestic inflation. However, India need not worry just yet. Sachchidanand Shukla, group chief economist at Larsen & Toubro, told Mint, 'India can absorb oil prices up to $85 a barrel without triggering large macro imbalances. There is no need to panic, and one needs to keep an eye on how the situation evolves.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD If global oil prices rise, India's economy will also be affected. Reuters India's trade with West Asia Both Iran and Israel are important trading partners for India. Basmati rice is one of India's big exports to the Islamic Republic, which amounted to $753.2 million in FY25. Other exports are banana, tea, soya, and Bengal gram. The basmati exports to Iran have stopped since the latest conflict with Israel started 12 days ago. Operations at Iran's Bandar Abbas port have reportedly been suspended, and many consignments are stuck. 'We export around one million tonnes of basmati to Iran, which is approximately 15 to 16 per cent of total global export from India. Due to the present crisis, now around Rs 3,000 crore worth of export orders are hanging in the balance as no one knows how the situation will develop in the coming days as the banking infrastructure there has either collapsed or frozen, thus no transactions. We have just kept our fingers crossed,' Ranjit Singh Jossan, vice-president of the Basmati Rice Miller and Exporter Association, told The New Indian Express. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD India is a major exporter of basmati rice to Iran. This trade has taken a hit since the Israel-Iran conflict started. Reuters Other perishable items like bananas and tea will also be hit by delays. India exports 20,000 to 25,000 tonnes of tea to Iran, especially from Assam. However, exports are now on hold because of the conflict. B Rajesh Chander, a member of the Tea Board India, told The Hindu last week, 'There is fear that exports to countries such as Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan may also get affected in the future if the conflict continues.' 'A prolonged conflict could dampen Iranian demand and squeeze Indian exports,' Ajay Srivastava, founder of the Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI), said. Israel is a larger trading partner – exports in FY 2024-25 amounted to $2.1 billion, and imports were at $1.6 billion. Trade with other countries in West Asia, like Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria and Yemen, could be hit. India's exports to the region stood at $8.6 billion, and imports were $33.1 billion. Financial markets India's benchmark indices, Sensex and Nifty, opened lower on Monday over tensions in West Asia. Almost all sectors were in the red. The Indian rupee fell 20 paise to 86.75 against the US dollar in early trade. The Indian rupee and government bonds face pressure this week following the US strike on Iran. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD It is impossible to be shielded from the impact of the conflict. However, a few cautionary steps will prevent New Delhi from feeling the full blow.

India.com

43 minutes ago

• India.com

Oil Prices At 5-Month High Amid Mideast Crisis, India Has Enough Supplies

New Delhi: Oil prices rose to their highest level since January this year on Monday after the US strikes on nuclear facilities in Iran, with the country threatening to shut Strait of Hormuz, through which around 20 per cent of global crude supply flows. Brent crude futures was up $1.92 or 2.49 per cent at $78.93 a barrel early on Monday. US West Texas Intermediate crude increased $1.89 or 2.56 per cent to $75.73. Brent crude prices surged as much as 5 per cent. However, prices could not sustain at those levels and pared the early advance almost immediately. Crude oil prices extended gains for a third straight week amid rising geopolitical tensions and a sharper-than-expected drawdown in US inventories. The ongoing hostilities between Israel and Iran have heightened supply concerns across the Middle East, a region critical to global oil exports. According to the US Energy Information Administration (EIA), crude stockpiles dropped by 11.5 million barrels last week — significantly higher than the anticipated 2.3 million-barrel decline. 'Crude oil is seen having support at $74.20-73.40 and resistance at $75.65-76.20 in today's session. In Rs terms, crude oil has support at Rs 6,400-6,320 while resistance is at Rs 6,580-6,690,' said Rahul Kalantri, VP Commodities, Mehta Equities Ltd. Even though the possibility of the closure of Hormuz Strait is a threat, it is important to understand that this has always been only a threat and the Strait had never been closed. 'The fact is that the closure of Hormuz Strait will harm Iran and Iran's friend China more than anyone else,' said VK Vijayakumar, Chief Investment Strategist, Geojit Investments Limited. Meanwhile, Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Hardeep Singh Puri, has allayed fears over any disruption in oil supplies to Indian consumers due to the Israel-Iran war and further escalation in geopolitical tensions in the Middle East because of US bombing of Iran's nuclear sites. 'We have been closely monitoring the evolving geopolitical situation in the Middle East since the past two weeks. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, we have diversified our supplies in the past few years and a large volume of our supplies do not come through the Strait of Hormuz now,' the minister said. He pointed out that the country's oil marketing companies (Indian Oil, Bharat Petroleum and Hindustan Petroleum) have supplies for several weeks and continue to receive energy supplies from several routes. 'We will take all necessary steps to ensure stability of supplies of fuel to our citizens,' the minister assured. India imports around 85 per cent of its crude oil requirement and a surge in oil prices leads to an increase in its oil import bill and pushes up the rate of inflation which hurts economic growth. However, India has diversified its oil sources by increasing imports from Russia as well as the US and building resilience through strategic reserves.

Mint

44 minutes ago

• Mint

Rupee volatility, forwards unruffled by Middle East flare up

MUMBAI (Reuters) - Expectations of rupee volatility and the cost of hedging against the currency's decline had a muted reaction to worries over a deepening of the conflict in the Middle East after the U.S. struck Iran's nuclear sites over the weekend. The reaction across global markets was relatively muted as investors kept their attention on potential retaliation by Iran. The Indian rupee declined 0.2% on the day to 86.8025 per U.S. dollar, tracking weakness in Asian peers. The currency's 1-month implied volatility, a gauge of future expectations, nudged slightly higher but was hovering near its average over the last two months, signalling that market participants were not yet pricing in the risk of outsized swings. Markets are wagering that "risk of further escalation seems low", a trader at a large private bank said, pointing out to the quick cooling of crude oil prices after an initial jump. Brent crude oil futures rose to a peak of $81.4 per barrel but pared gains to quote up 1.7% at $78.3 per barrel. Dollar-rupee forward premiums, too, reflected limited concern about a sharp depreciation of the rupee. The 1-month forward premium was nearly flat at 11.25 paisa. Far forward premiums also showed a contained reaction. However, as a large oil-importing nation, India remains vulnerable to risks from sharp spikes in oil prices, MUFG said in a note. "We would likely revise our USD/INR forecast profile higher if geopolitical risks remain elevated moving forward. Nonetheless, given the weakness already seen in INR, the balance of risks for the currency could be more two-sided." Dampened risk appetite also weighed on Asian currencies and equities across the board. India's benchmark equity indexes, the BSE Sensex and Nifty, fell about 0.8% each. The Korean won led losses among Asia FX with a 0.9% decline. (Reporting by Jaspreet Kalra; Editing by Mrigank Dhaniwala)