What Is Kaveri Engine And Why Is It Trending? All About The Project That Can Bolster India's Defence Tech
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The Kaveri engine is now being repurposed to power India's indigenous long-range Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicles (UCAVs), like the Ghatak stealth drone.
Fund Kaveri Engine – has been one of the top trends on social media over the past two days, coming days after India responded to Pahalgam terror attack by targeting terror sites in Pakistan under Operation Sindoor. It also comes close on the heels of India's defence ministry having approved the 'execution model" for Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) programme to develop the medium weight deep penetration fighter jets to bolster its air capability.
With 'Fund Kaveri Engine', Indians are taking to social media urging the government to put its money on developing defence technology in India to reduce dependency on foreign fighter jet engines.
Indians on social media have started a #FundKaveriEngine campaign, with some even asking the government to take more tax but renew Kaveri engine. Here are some posts on X:
Stop freebies schemes and fund Kaveri Engine and make India Self-reliance 🇮🇳 #AtmanirbharBharat #MakeinIndia #FundKaveriEngine pic.twitter.com/P7kFG7LHsQ — Sumit Jaiswal 🇮🇳 (@sumitjaiswal02) May 26, 2025
#FundKaveriEngine 🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/w8OX6TnwZ4 — Ankit Kumar Avasthi (@kaankit) May 26, 2025
#FundKaveriEngine – A Call for Self-RelianceThe Kaveri Engine project was India's dream to build an indigenous fighter jet engine ,but it's been stalled for years.
Even today, we rely on countries like the U.S. and France for fighter jet engines.
That's a risk to our… pic.twitter.com/Ax0aMefnDN
— Shilpa Sahu (@shilpasahu432) May 26, 2025
What is Kaveri Engine?
The Kaveri engine is an indigenously developed fighter jet engine project by India's Gas Turbine Research Establishment (GTRE), under the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). It is used to power Light Combat Aircraft (LCA), and reduce dependency on foreign jet engines.
It is a low bypass, twin spool turbofan engine with 80 kilonewtons (kN) thrust. The Kaveri project kicked off in India in the 1980s to power India's homegrown fighter aircraft Tejas. The engine features a flat-rated design to minimise thrust loss under high-speed and high-temperature conditions, and incorporates a twin-lane Full Authority Digital Engine Control (FADEC) system with a manual override for enhanced reliability.
Why Was It Delayed?
The engine had to be delinked from Tejas in 2008 over technical challenges including its inability to achieve required thrust-to-weight ratio, shortcomings in high-temperature metallurgy and issues in afterburner performance and reliability.
With Kaveri engine not meeting the requirements for the Tejas Mk1, the fighter aircraft had to powered by American-made GE F404 engine.
Apart from the technical challenges, India also lacked testing facilities for such engines. India has to rely on Russia for testing Kaveri engine, leading to scheduling delays and limited flexibility.
In its initial phase, India tried to develop Kaveri engine indigenously, without foreign help. This delayed international collaborations, like one with France's Snecma/Safran, that came in too late.
The Kaveri engine project also faced delays in decision-making, lack of industry coordination, budget limitations and inefficient project management.
Current Status Of Kaveri Engine
According to reports, the Kaveri engine is undergoing flight tests in Russia, with approximately 25 hours of testing remaining. These trials are crucial for evaluating the engine's performance in real-world conditions.
The engine is now being repurposed to power India's indigenous long-range Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicles (UCAVs), like the Ghatak stealth drone. The renewed interest in Kaveri engine on social media comes after India used UAVs to successfully destroy terror camps in Pakistan.
Godrej Aerospace has delivered the first two modules of the Kaveri Derivative Engine (KDE), with six more expected by August 2025. Additionally, Azad Engineering has also been contracted to produce advanced turbo gas generators, supporting various defence applications.
Kaveri 2.0 is also in the pipeline, aiming to replace the GE F404 engines in the Tejas Mk1A during its mid-life upgrade post-2035. The GTRE has reportedly sought funds for this 90 kN thrust variant.
Meanwhile, the Indian Navy has also collaborated with GTRE to adapt the Kaveri jet engine for maritime applications through the development of the Kaveri Marine Gas Turbine (KMGT) to power small warships. The engine has undergone successful trials at the Indian Navy's Marine Gas Turbine test bed facility in Visakhapatnam, showcasing its potential for naval applications.
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Efforts are also underway to increase the KMGT's power output beyond 12 MW to meet the requirements of larger naval vessels.
The Kaveri engine project is pivotal for 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat' in defence technology. Success in this endeavor would not only reduce dependence on foreign engines but also bolster the country's capabilities in developing advanced aerospace platforms.
First Published:
May 28, 2025, 11:22 IST
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