Kaveri to Tejas Delays: Crisis of India's Missing Jet Engine
Exploring India's decades-long struggle to develop indigenous jet engine technology and the strategic implications of relying on foreign suppliers for critical defense systems.
53m·Guest Sundepan·Host Dave·
Jet Engine Complexity
Fighter jet engines represent one of the most complex engineering challenges, requiring advanced metallurgy and precision manufacturing that only a handful of nations have mastered.
Fighter jet engines are more complex than rocket engines due to their reusable performance demands
- Fighter engines must perform flawlessly under extreme conditions repeatedly, unlike one-time-use rocket engines
- They operate at altitudes up to 80,000 ft with temperatures ranging from -30°C to extreme heat
- Must withstand rapid pressure changes while maintaining structural integrity
- Single crystal blade technology is critical for turbine blades that rotate at ultra-high speeds
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00:06:56“A fighter jet engine is far more complex. It's far more complicated to build than a rocket engine because it is the thing of performance that it has to perform every single time, every single minute, every single second.” — Sundepan
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00:07:40“The metal has to be extraordinarily flexible. It has to be ductile. It has to operate in below zero because you're going at altitudes of 60,000 ft and all that.” — Sundepan
Single crystal blade technology is the holy grail of jet engine manufacturing
- Only a handful of countries have mastered this metallurgical technique
- Allows turbine blades to withstand extreme temperatures and rotational forces
- Critical for achieving the thrust-to-weight ratios needed in modern fighters
- India's inability to master this technology has been a key bottleneck
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00:04:55“Single crystal blades. This apparently is the holy grail when it comes to jet fighter jet engines and it's something only a few countries have mastered.” — Dave
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00:00:47“You need to have some really extraordinary knowhow of metals, of metal energy.” — Dave
Strategic Dependence Risks
India's reliance on foreign jet engines creates critical vulnerabilities in defense readiness and supply chain security, as demonstrated by delays in Tejas deliveries.
Foreign engine dependence compromises sovereignty despite indigenous fighter programs
- Tejas Mark 1A deliveries delayed due to GE engine supply chain issues
- 83 aircraft ordered in 2021 but none delivered as of recording
- Creates operational vulnerabilities during geopolitical tensions
- Parallels India's historical struggles with Marut fighter's underpowered British engines
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00:02:24“You think that you have your own fighter jet but you forget that the heart of the Tejas is the engine which comes from the US.” — Dave
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00:03:04“Till date as we record this not a single one has been delivered among various reasons is the prime factor is the delay of the engines supply from the US from General Electric.” — Dave
Jet engine independence is crucial for both military and commercial aviation industries
- Countries with jet engine capabilities (US, Russia, France, China) dominate commercial aviation
- Engine technology forms the foundation for aerospace ecosystem development
- India's lack of indigenous engines limits broader aviation sector growth
- Creates long-term economic and strategic disadvantages
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00:03:36“These countries that we're going to talk about that have their own jet engine projects... they also have their own commercial airliner companies, Airbus, Boeing.” — Dave
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00:04:00“This is why we need and should have our own jet engine. Not only to fight wars, not only so that we have fighter jets, but also because you have a strong aviation industry.” — Dave
Kaveri Engine Saga
India's 40-year struggle with the Kaveri jet engine program highlights systemic issues in defense R&D management and the consequences of premature program cancellation.
Kaveri engine was abandoned prematurely despite showing promise
- Launched in 1986 as part of LCA program
- Produced thrust but not at desired levels (51 kN vs required 114 kN)
- Could have been improved incrementally like ISRO's approach
- Alternative solutions like twin-engine configuration weren't explored
- Contrasts with China's $40B investment in engine development
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00:15:15“If you say that the Kaveri wasn't producing adequate thrust, you design an aircraft around that. You design a fighter jet around that, treat it as an R&D program.” — Sundepan
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00:09:31“China has spent something like $40 billion... we haven't spent even half a billion dollars.” — Sundepan
Historical pattern of abandoning engine projects repeats with Kaveri
- Similar fate to 1950s GTX engine project for Marut fighter
- Both programs showed technical progress but were deemed insufficient
- Lack of institutional learning across generations
- Contrasts with nuclear submarine program's persistence through challenges
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00:16:45“It's an identical Kaveri redux kind of thing... they began again in 1956... same problems. So we don't seem to learn from this failure-based approach which ISRO does a lot.” — Sundepan
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00:16:30“The Marut went through its entire life with an underpowered engine and the GTRE kept developing that engine.” — Sundepan
Organizational Silos Problem
The fragmented structure of India's defense R&D ecosystem, with isolated organizations like GTRE, HAL and IAF, hampers complex technology development efforts.
ATV submarine program success demonstrates benefits of integrated organizational structure
- Combines Navy, DRDO and Atomic Energy under single leadership
- Vice Admiral with secretary-level powers coordinates all aspects
- Results in 4 nuclear submarines in 25 years
- Contrasts with GTRE's isolation in engine development
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00:20:44“This organization was set up because they understood in the 80s that if you wanted to capture this technology... you had to have all three people invested in one organization.” — Sundepan
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00:21:11“He's got DRDO people. He's got DAE people and this organization has delivered.” — Sundepan
GTRE's isolation doomed Kaveri engine program
- Operated as DRDO lab without user (IAF) involvement
- Lacked integration with HAL's aircraft development
- No private sector participation until recently
- Contrasts with missile program's test infrastructure investment
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00:22:43“The problem with this program is that we put too much emphasis on this one organization GTRE... it should have had the users there should have had the Indian air force involved.” — Sundepan
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00:25:10“The kind of test facilities the DRDO has invested in for missile tech is humongous... we haven't done the same for fighter jet engines.” — Sundepan
Test Infrastructure Gap
India's lack of jet engine test facilities creates critical dependency on foreign partners and severely limits indigenous development capabilities.
Lack of test facilities cripples indigenous engine development
- No high-altitude or flying test beds in India
- Must rely on Russian facilities with scheduling delays
- Estimated cost comparable to engine development itself
- Critical bottleneck that receives inadequate funding
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00:23:34“To test a fighter jet engine you need to invest possibly as much as you did in the fighter jet engine program itself in the test facilities.” — Sundepan
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00:24:03“We have to go and beg the Russians please can we bring our Kaveri engine... they'll say come a year later because I've got all my we're fighting a war.” — Sundepan
Missile program success demonstrates test infrastructure importance
- DRDO invested thousands of crores in Odisha test ranges
- Enables complete Atmanirbhar status in missile technology
- Allows rapid iteration and development cycles
- Jet engine program lacks equivalent investment
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00:24:47“The DRDO chief says I can make any missile from a shoulder fired missile to an intercontinental ballistic missile. I am completely Atman in missile tech. And why is he so confident? It's because he has the test facilities.” — Sundepan
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00:25:23“Could we have become a missile power without investing in missile test facilities? No. The answer is no.” — Sundepan
New Development Approaches
Recent initiatives signal a shift in India's defense technology strategy, including private sector participation and international partnerships.
Private sector inclusion marks strategic shift in defense production
- HAL excluded from AMCA prototype development
- Tata, L&T, Bharat Forge competing for ₹15,000cr project
- DCPP model shows success with Pinaka, carbines
- Creates alternative to traditional PSU monopoly
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00:47:50“The government has very wisely decided to create a second line in not just fighter jets but in helicopters as well.” — Sundepan
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00:43:44“HAL has lost out in the race to build the prototype of the AMCA project... in the running are only private companies.” — Dave
French Safran partnership represents new approach to engine development
- Co-development of 5th gen engine with IP rights for India
- Targets 114 kN thrust (double Kaveri's output)
- Includes transfer of single crystal blade technology
- Strategic choice to avoid US/Russian dependencies
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00:33:02“We going to co-develop it... that engine doesn't exist until now. It's not the M88... we need it in a certain time frame.” — Sundepan
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00:32:32“100% transfer of technology with the IP rights... India will have IP rights for the engine.” — Dave
Geopolitical Wake-up Calls
Recent global events have highlighted the risks of over-dependence on foreign technology, prompting India to accelerate indigenous defense capabilities.
Global events exposed critical vulnerabilities in India's supply chains
- Houthi attacks revealed 90% of Indian shipping on foreign vessels
- US sanctions risk demonstrated with Russian oil purchases
- COVID pandemic showed fragility of global supply chains
- Prompted reevaluation of strategic dependencies
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00:28:06“We wake up one morning and we discover that 90% of our shipping is carried on foreign flag vessels when the Houthis thanks to the Houthis.” — Sundepan
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00:08:54“There is no geopolitical insulation for stuff like fighter jet engines... if one country wants to put you under pressure over a trade deal over you buying Russian oil.” — Sundepan
Post-globalization reality demands self-reliance in critical technologies
- End of flat world ideology where components could be sourced globally
- Need for complete vertical integration in strategic sectors
- Private sector must invest in defense R&D, not just production
- Requires long-term perspective beyond immediate orders
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00:53:16“The world is not flat anymore... Trump has finished it. He's killed it. I'm very grateful to him for waking us up to the reality of the world.” — Sundepan
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00:53:30“If you're not on the dining table, you're on the menu. As simple as that.” — Sundepan
Strategic Program Models
Comparing India's successful nuclear submarine program with struggling aerospace projects reveals key lessons for managing complex defense technologies.
ATV submarine program provides model for complex technology development
- Integrated Navy, DRDO and Atomic Energy under single authority
- Vice Admiral with secretary-level powers cuts through bureaucracy
- Delivered 4 nuclear submarines in 25 years
- Demonstrates benefits of user-producer integration
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00:18:55“If there is a model to master and replicate technologies. You have that model in your house... the ATV kind of thing to capture this technology.” — Sundepan
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00:19:12“2026, more than 25 years later, you have four nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines in the water moving. Two are deployed, two are on sea trials.” — Sundepan
IGMDP missile success contrasts with jet engine struggles
- Invested heavily in test ranges and facilities
- Allows complete indigenous missile capability today
- Jet engine program lacked equivalent infrastructure investment
- Demonstrates importance of long-term test capability building
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00:24:44“Today I think that is strategically speaking after the nuclear sub program it's one of our biggest achievements right... I can make any missile from a shoulder fired missile to an intercontinental ballistic missile.” — Sundepan
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00:25:30“Can you imagine... we decide to launch our build our own missiles IGMDP and we say that yeah let's not build the test range.” — Sundepan
⚙ Agent-readable JSON index — click to expand
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