By THE NEWSMAN OF INDIA.COM| Bengaluru, April 13, 2026: Sanjeev Kumar, Secretary (Defence Production), Ministry of Defence today inaugurated Prachand Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) structure assembly line and an Automated Storage & Retrieval System (ASRS) at Hindustan Aeronautics Limited’s New Helicopter Factory in Tumakuru, Karnataka. Dr. D. K. Sunil, CMD, HAL and Ms Manisha Chandra, Joint Secretary (Aero) were present along with HAL Directors and senior officers from HAL and MoD.

The New Helicopter Facility is a state-of-the-art greenfield facility established for the production of Light Utility Helicopter (LUH) and Prachand LCH and will support future programmes such as Indian Multi Role Helicopter (IMRH), and Deck-based Multi Role Helicopter (DBMRH).

Secretary (DP) held a meeting with HAL management and reviewed ongoing projects. He expressed satisfaction on the progress of the facility and the plans for the production of the helicopters. He also visited HAL’s dedicated LUH production facility, LCH equipping hangar and ASRS facility