During his visit to the land of the Maharajahs, Macron agreed that Safran would transfer 100% of its technology to the Indian group Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd to design a fighter jet engine! A competitor for the Rafale?
In The Economic Times, India’s leading business daily, we discover a particularly interesting piece of information, revealed by the Indian ambassador to France. Jawed Ashraf, gave an overview of the ongoing discussions between India and the French group Safran (the world’s second-largest aerospace equipment supplier) concerning the Shakti aircraft engine contract. The aim is to align the engine’s specifications with India’s future fighter aircraft requirements. The agreement aims to go beyond technology transfer, and to go deeper into design, metallurgy and other critical elements.
Defense cooperation between France and India
According to the diplomat, the negotiations between Safran and Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd are aimed at aligning the engine’s specifications with India’s future fighter aircraft requirements. Ambassador Ashraf said India was looking for a comprehensive approach to technology transfer, going beyond the simple transfer of manufacturing technology. The agreement aims to delve deeper into the design phase itself, metallurgical aspects and other critical elements that contribute to the development of advanced jet engines.
The ambassador stressed that these discussions will continue as part of the defense industry roadmap. In July 2023, India and France decided to extend their defense cooperation in the field of advanced aeronautical technologies by supporting the joint development of a fighter jet engine. They also decided to support industrial cooperation on heavy helicopter engines as part of the Indian Multi Role Helicopter (IMRH) program with Safran Helicopter Engine.
Aerospace and defense
The announcement followed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s talks with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris. In April 2023, Safran Chairman Ross McInnes had discussed a defense and space technology partnership with Prime Minister Modi. Safran Helicopter Engines and Hindustan Aeronautics (HAL) have also signed a work-sharing agreement for the joint development of the engine for India’s future Multi-Role Helicopter (IMRH).
Safran is a French multinational company that designs, develops and manufactures aircraft engines, rocket engines and various equipment for the aerospace and defense industries. …