Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has received the first set of wing assemblies for the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Mk1A, marking a significant milestone in India’s pursuit of self-reliance in aerospace and defence manufacturing. The assemblies, produced by Larsen & Toubro (L&T), were formally handed over at an event held at L&T’s Precision Manufacturing & Systems Complex unit in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu.
Shri Sanjeev Kumar, Secretary (Defence Production), attended the event virtually as Shri M Abdul Salam, General Manager (LCA Tejas Division), accepted the assemblies on behalf of HAL.
In his address, Shri Sanjeev Kumar commended the joint efforts of HAL and L&T, emphasising the importance of collaboration between public and private players in achieving Aatmanirbharta (self-reliance). “HAL’s proactive partnerships with private sector companies have not only strengthened their capabilities but also laid the foundation for meeting production targets for the LCA Tejas,” he said. He urged all stakeholders to expand their technological horizons and reduce dependence on imports.
HAL Chairman and Managing Director, Dr DK Sunil, who was present during the handover ceremony, described the occasion as the result of years of dedicated collaboration between HAL and L&T. “HAL is actively working with both large suppliers and SMEs to develop a strong ecosystem for aerospace manufacturing. Our efforts have successfully created a parallel aircraft structural assembly line in the private sector, which will significantly boost the production capacity for the LCA Tejas program,” Dr Sunil stated.
Shri Arun Ramchandani, Senior Vice President & Head, L&T Precision Engineering & Systems, announced that L&T will supply four wing sets annually, with plans to scale up production to 12 sets per year by adopting advanced assembly techniques and automation.
The latest delivery adds to the growing list of private sector contributions to the LCA Mk1A program. So far, HAL’s LCA Tejas Division has received structural modules, including air intake assemblies from Lakshmi Machine Works, rear fuselage assemblies from Alpha Tocol, loom assemblies from Amphenol, fin and rudder assemblies from Tata Advanced Systems, centre fuselage assemblies from VEM Technologies, and now wing assemblies from L&T.
The LCA Mk1A is an advanced version of the indigenous LCA Tejas, designed to enhance India’s air combat capabilities while promoting domestic manufacturing under the Make in India and Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiatives.
