Rajnath Singh announces second Shakti engine production line at HAL Koraput

Bhubaneswar, Oct 6 (UNI) Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday announced an Rs 218-crore second production line for Shakti helicopter engines at Hindustan Aeronautics Limited's (HAL) Koraput division, setting a higher production target as India steps up efforts to reduce dependence on foreign technology for critical aircraft engines. The new line will produce up to 100 Shakti engines annually and is expected to be fully operational by 2028-29. The engines will power indigenous platforms, including the Dhruv Advanced Light Helicopter and Prachand Light Combat Helicopter. Singh made the announcement while witnessing the delivery of HAL Koraput's 2,000th aero-engine and called…