Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL)
The Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) was set up in 1964 with its corporate office at Bangalore. The company has 12 divisions located in six States. This is the largest public sector undertaking under the Department of Defence Production and Supplies. Originally incorporated as a private limited company it was converted into a public limited company on 10 July 1995. It is engaged in the design, manufacture, repair and over-haul of aircraft helicopters, aero-engines, avionics, instruments and accessories. All operating divisions of the company have maintained ISO 9001/9002 standard.
Hindustan Aeronautics Limited has built over 3000 aircraft, 95% of which have been for the IAF. These comprise of 20 different types out of which 11 were of indigenous design. From the most advanced combat aircraft, through trainers and transport aircrafts to helicopters, HAL with it's products and services has been fully engaged in providing the backbone around which the IAF is able to carry out the multifarious tasks assigned to it.
HAL has traditionally been an aircraft maintenance and assembly facility, assembly being done under licensed production. Tooling has usually been provided by foreign collaborators, especially the Soviet Union or Russia, for technology that was transferred, with aircraft kits also being supplied in many cases. HAL assembled the aircraft.
The beginning of HAL can be traced to the year 1940 when a far-sighted industrialist, Walchand Hirachand, set up a company called Hindustan Aircraft Limited in association with the Government of Mysore. The company was registered on December 23, 1940 as a private limited company, with an authorised capital of Rs. 4 crore. The Production line was established in collaboration with the Inter Continental Aircraft Company of the USA for the manufacture of Harlow trainer, Curtiss Hawk fighter and Vultee attack bomber. In the year 1941 the first flight of a Harlow trainer took place followed by, the flight of India's first indigenous effort, a ten seater glider designed by Dr. V.M. Ghatage. To support the Second World War efforts the aircraft manufacturing programs were abandoned in favor of repair and overhaul of aircraft and the company became the principal overhaul base for the South East Asia Command of the Allied forces. After World War II in December 1945 the Government of India took over the management of the Company, and activities were increased multifold after India attained its freedom.
The previous track record of HAL in terms of various delayed projects also strengthens the fact that there is no concrete planning of HAL for design and development of aircraft, engine etc. The continuous unfulfilled requirements of the Armed Forces for the aircraft, helicopters etc. also corroborates that the same has not been duly addressed by the company. In licence production projects, the indigenization effort usually commences after absorption of the offered technology and stabilisation of production. Indigenization of items is taken up to meet the requirement of the repair and overhauls. Indigenization is taken up based on design feasibility and economic viability to increase the self reliance and to obviate export restrictions or obsolescence.
Initiating an indigenous design and development of an aircraft or a helicopter requires large amount of funds. It is not feasible for HAL to initiate a major project without the firming up of specification and requirement by the domestic customer and funding by the customer/Government. HAL was not entrusted with any major new design and development project of fighter aircraft after the HF-24 (Marut).During early 2000s, HAL had proposed the development of an Indigenous Advanced Jet Trainer (IAJT) to cater to the requirement beyond the 66 Hawk aircraft and a Basic Turbo-prop Trainer aircraft to replace the HPT-32. Conformation of requirement and the Staff requirements for these aircraft is not yet issued by the IAF. The current major development programs are the Intermediate Jet Trainer (IJT) and Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) for IAF. These enter production stage in 2008 and 2010, respectively. There are no cost overruns in any of the major projects currently being progressed at HAL.