How it all began
After the 1974 Nuclear test done by India, there were sanctions imposed on the country in terms of technology which could have dual use applications, the suspension of fuel supply and others. Most Western countries denied India technology due to its dual role application, especially in the field of nuclear technology. Taking all this into consideration, the policy makers of that time started many indigenous weapons programs that have been fruitful, the best example being missile technology.
Missile technology is a dual-use technology that can be used to power rockets for space exploration and for precision military strikes over long or short distances on enemy territory. The Government of India also initiated a separate program for indigenous design development and manufacturing of helicopters, fighter jets, and engines. Out of the above-mentioned program, some of the most challenging technologies to develop were jet engines and others.
The missile program (IGMDP) was a great success, and nuclear weapons and submarines were also a great success. There is very little data on the nuclear part of it due to national security. There are very few countries that have their own indigenous development and have manufactured a jet engine for their military application, namely the USA, UK, France, Russia, and other countries have also invested in this.
GoI in the 1980s sanctioned close to USD 1 billion to Gas Turbine Research Establishment (GTRE) for the development of a jet engine to be integrated on the indigenous LCA Tejas. Building a jet engine, of course, is no easy task: constructing a turbofan engine demands precise aerodynamics, high-temperature materials and advanced control systems. India’s jet engine program was called the Kaveri engine program, and the requirement was to generate 85 Kilonewton (kN of thrust required to power the aircraft.
Development History and Timelines
The program, officially sanctioned in March 1989, was highly ambitious but was not funded as well as similar missile programs in Russia, China or NATO Countries.
The retired chief designer for General Electric advised some technical modifications in the engine . In 2004, it failed the HAT test in Russia, but it passed in 2008 and in 2011 trials. The engine was able to produce the total thrust of 70-75kN, which was a shortfall of 12% for the required thrust. The initial engine was called the K1, and the final, with all the changes, is called the K9+.
Outcomes of the Program
There were many issues in the development of the jet engines; for instance, the parameters were a little unrealistic in terms of weight( 1000kg ). When the program was going on, there was no proper industrial base to supply a large number of parts required for it, and proper material(composite materials) had not been designed and manufactured in the country during its first production run. As a result, many of the tests needed to be conducted in Germany and Italy, further increasing costs. For the technical parameters, please refer to an article addressing this here. There is also a CAG report of 2011 named “Inordinate Delay in Fruition of Kaveri Engine”, which suggests that the program was not successful.
Although the CAG report suggests that the program was largely unsuccessful, this ignores the fact that there was a lack of adequate facilities and funding for it. Any country’s defence R&D is never a sunk cost, considering the learnings can be applied to future programs. An example of this was when India started the missile development program (IGMDP) in the 1980s. At the time, development of different types of missiles was slow, but in the current scenario if the GoI were to sanction the development of a new type of missile, it can be designed in under 3 years, and the testing can be started. GTRE scientists have done an excellent job of creating a jet engine of 73kN.
The Current Update of the engine as of August 2025
The Kaveri engine program has been officially closed, and a new program was started in 2017 called the Kaveri Derivative Engine ( KDE). According to the PIB release from the MoD, the program has spent close to 730 crore. Currently, there is technical testing of the engine happening in Russia, which is in its final phase. India will be collaborating with Saffran (a French Company) for the indigenous co-development of a 120 Kn jet engine for the 5th generation fighter jet. The duration will take more than 10 years.
Concluding Remarks
The program trajectory of Kaveri showcases constraints and possibilities of indigenous technological development. It was unable to deliver a proper jet engine to power the LCA Tejas, but it gained valuable spillovers in propulsion, material and testing capabilities. There could be an argument made for a mission-oriented program, similar to IGMDP could yield significant returns in aero engine development, that would have a spillover effect on the civilian aviation sector, aligning with the strategic objectives of technological reliance by 2047.
Sameer Chawla
(Background image: PIB )
