Known for wine Nashik is the next aircraft manufacturing hub

Nashik, India, renowned as the country's wine capital, is poised to emerge as the next focal point for aircraft manufacturing, as state-owned plane maker Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), based in Bengaluru, gears up to activate new production lines for the indigenous light combat aircraft (LCA) Mk-1A and the Hindustan Turbo Trainer-40 (HTT-40) planes. This development is in response to the escalating demands of the Indian Air Force (IAF) for fighter jets and basic trainers, according to informed senior officials. The establishment of the new manufacturing plant for the Mk-1A planes in Nashik represents a strategic move by HAL to expedite the delivery of the 83 LCA Mk-1A fighters, which were ordered by the IAF in February 2021 for a staggering sum of ?48,000 crore. HAL's Chairman and Managing Director, CB Ananthakrishnan, disclosed in an interview that the Nashik facility is set to bring the delivery schedule forward by at least a year. His remarks closely follow the announcement by the IAF Chief, Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari, who revealed plans to procure an additional 97 LCA Mk-1As at an estimated cost of ?67,000 crore. Currently, HAL has the capacity to produce 16 LCA Mk-1As annually in Bengaluru. With the new production line in Nashik, the company aims to bolster its production capacity to a total of 24 jets per year. Ananthakrishnan further stated that the maiden LCA Mk-1A is scheduled for delivery to the IAF in February 2024, with the final aircraft from the initial order of 83 expected to be delivered by 2028. This represents a notable acceleration compared to the originally contracted delivery schedule of 2029. Timely delivery is of paramount importance to the IAF, which is grappling with a deficit in fighter squadrons.