Bhubaneswar: Best known for its scenic hills, lush valleys, and coffee plantations, Odisha’s Koraput district is taking centre stage as a strategic hub for national security as Defence Minister Rajnath Singh arrives in Sunabeda on Tuesday for an official review of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited’s (HAL) Sunabeda facility.
According to sources, the Defence Minister is scheduled to arrive in the afternoon, around 2 pm, after engagements at Hindustan Shipyard Limited in Visakhapatnam. He will evaluate HAL’s engine manufacturing and overhaul units, focusing on critical operational assets like the Engine No. 2000 and the production lines dedicated to powering the Indian Air Force’s frontline Sukhoi-30 MKI fighter jet fleet.
He will be accompanied by Chief Minister Mohan Majhi.
A major highlight of the visit will be the establishment of a second production line for Shakti engines, with an investment of Rs 218 crore. This groundbreaking event assumes significance as India strengthens its domestic aero-engine capabilities and reduces reliance on foreign sources, building on HAL’s Koraput division and its long-standing work with the Shakti engine programme. “The additional capacity will support the growing requirements of indigenous helicopter platforms, including the Dhruv Advanced Light Helicopter and Prachand Light Combat Helicopter,” an official release confirmed.
It further noted that Singh will inaugurate an event, marking the delivery of the 2,000th aero-engine by HAL. “The event will mark nearly six decades of HAL Koraput’s contribution to India’s aerospace and defence manufacturing capabilities and operational readiness of the Armed Forces. It further underlines the government’s vision of transforming India from a buyer of defence equipment into a designer, developer and manufacturer of defence systems. Building indigenous aero-engine capability is a critical component of this vision, given the strategic importance and technological complexity of propulsion systems,” it added.
During the visit, top HAL leadership and technical experts will brief the delegation on ongoing projects, production targets, and long-term plans to boost self-reliance in defence manufacturing. Following the site walkthrough and discussions, the Defence Minister is scheduled to depart for New Delhi via Raipur.
Ahead of the VVIP arrival, the Koraput police have finalised multi-tier security cordons and strict traffic management around Sunabeda and the HAL premises. Access to the complex will remain strictly restricted to authorised personnel throughout the duration of the visit. “Security arrangements have been strengthened across Sunabeda, with adequate deployment of personnel. All routes leading to the venue have been thoroughly sanitised and necessary security measures have been put in place for the minister’s visit,” Koraput SP Rohit Verma told the media.
Established in the 1960s, HAL’s Koraput division has evolved from servicing legacy Soviet engines into a vital military aviation hub that manufactures and overhauls power plants for modern combat aircraft like the Sukhoi-30MKI.
