India needs to tackle its Propulsion Deficiency Issue
India is striving to achieve propulsion sovereignty, a critical step towards bolstering its national air power and strategic autonomy. The current reliance on foreign propulsion systems, such as the GE F404 and F414 engines for aircraft like the Tejas, MTU engines for tanks, and foreign marine propulsion systems for the Navy, creates a significant strategic vulnerability.
This dependency on foreign technology can cause delays in defense modernization, restrict squadron strength, and weaken deterrence capabilities. In a volatile geopolitical environment, this undermines India's self-reliance and operational readiness.
Achieving propulsion sovereignty would enable India to design, develop, and produce advanced jet engines and propulsion systems indigenously. This would ensure strategic autonomy, force readiness, technological edge, and international defense partnerships leverage.
However, India faces several challenges in achieving propulsion sovereignty. Technological complexity, institutional and policy barriers, human capital shortage, dependency on foreign technology and IP, lengthy development cycles, and a lack of operational domestic high-altitude test facilities are some of the obstacles.
To address these challenges, an integrated approach is required. This includes launching a National Jet Engine Mission, deepening strategic defense R&D partnerships, increasing defense R&D investment, establishing dedicated aerospace and propulsion research centres, strengthening supply chain resilience, and indigenous component manufacturing.
The propulsion gap in India's defense sector has been a constraint on its strategic autonomy. The absence of an operational domestic high-altitude test facility forces expensive leasing of foreign testbeds and chambers. The lack of indigenous aircraft engines limits the range, payload, climb-rate, and growth potential of Indian air power.
The development and production of indigenous aircraft engines would necessitate third-party approvals. The first F404-IN20 engine for 83 Tejas Mk-1A fighters reached Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) in April 2025, two years late. Just 11 more F404-IN20 engines are promised for delivery this calendar year.
Year-to-year allocations and delayed cash-flows hamper long-lead procurement of super-alloy ingots and bespoke tooling for aircraft engine development. India fields fewer than 300 aero-thermodynamics specialists compared to over 3000 at GE Aerospace alone.
Control of propulsion alone multiplies the other three pillars of national air power (avionics, weapons, low-observable structures) by determining range, payload, climb-rate, and growth potential. Over 60% of India's major-arms imports between 2019-23 were propulsion-related components.
Foreign Direct Investment in the defense sector has been liberalized, which is expected to influence Indian defense and economy in the short and long run. India's pursuit of propulsion sovereignty is a significant step towards securing its position as a self-reliant military power.
- Achieving propulsion sovereignty in India's defense sector could potentially bolster the nation's economy by reducing dependency on foreign technology and promoting indigenous component manufacturing.
- To advance education-and-self-development and encourage technology innovations, it would be beneficial to establish dedicated aerospace and propulsion research centers, as part of an integrated approach, to develop advanced jet engines and propulsion systems.
- As India aspires to become a self-reliant military power, it's crucial to recognize the impact of technology on sports and physical fitness, as advancements in propulsion systems could contribute to the enhancement of sports equipment and vehicles, thereby promoting sports performances.
- The integration of science and technology in history and sports education could help students understand the historical significance of propulsion advancements in various contexts, like the evolution of warfare technology and the development of sports equipment.
