• Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited's helicopter factory — the country’s largest chopper manufacturing facility — in Karnataka’s Tumakuru district.

• Bengaluru-headquartered HAL plans to produce more than 1,000 helicopters in the range of 3-15 tonnes with a total business of more than Rs 4 lakh crore over a period of 20 years at this facility in Gubbi taluk.

• The factory, spread across 615 acres for which the Prime Minister laid the foundation stone in 2016, would initially manufacture Light Utility Helicopters (LUH)).

• Initially, the factory will produce around 30 helicopters per year and can be enhanced to 60 and then 90 every year in a phased manner.

• The factory will be augmented to produce other helicopters such as Light Combat Helicopters (LCHs) and Indian Multirole Helicopters (IMRHs). It will also be used for maintenance, repair and overhaul of LCH, LUH, Civil Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) and IMRH in the future.

• Potential exports of civil LUH will also be catered to from this factory, which is being equipped with state-of-the-art Industry 4.0 standard tools and techniques for its operations.

• The proximity of the factory, with the existing HAL facilities in Bengaluru, will boost the aerospace manufacturing ecosystem in the region and support skill and infrastructure development such as schools, colleges and residential areas.

Hindustan Aeronautics Limited 

• The company, which had its origin as Hindustan Aircraft Limited, was incorporated on December 23, 1940 at Bangalore by Walchand Hirachand, in association with the then government of Mysore, with the aim of manufacturing aircraft in India.

• In March 1941, the government of India became one of the shareholders in the company and subsequently took over its management in 1942.

• In January 1951, Hindustan Aircraft Limited was placed under the administrative control of the ministry of defence.

• In August 1963, Aeronautics India Limited (AIL) was incorporated as a company wholly owned by the government to undertake manufacture of MiG-21 aircraft under licence.

• Amalgamation of the two companies — Hindustan Aircraft Limited and Aeronautics India Limited — was brought about on October 1, 1964 and it was named as Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) with its principal business being design, development, manufacture, repair and overhaul of aircraft, helicopters, engines and related systems like avionics, instruments and accessories.

Manorama Yearbook app is now available on Google Play Store and iOS App Store