India Seals ₹62,700 Crore Deal for 156 HAL Light Combat Helicopters

2 Apr 2025 , 09:15 AM

The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) has cleared the largest defence procurement programme in India’s history worth ₹ 45,000 crores to buy 156 units of Light Combat Helicopters (LCH) from Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL). It is the largest order ever received by HAL and the deal is worth ₹62,700 crore.

The helicopters will be produced at HAL’s Bengaluru and Tumkur manufacturing plants in Karnataka creating jobs and strengthening domestic aerospace capabilities in India.

As per the contract, 66 helicopters will be supplied to the Indian Air Force (IAF) and 90 helicopters will be given to the Indian Army. The helicopters will be deployed at the borders with China and Pakistan as part of India’s defence preparedness in high-altitude warfare.

The Light Combat Helicopter (LCH), named ‘Prachand’, is the only attack helicopter in the world that can undertake missions at an altitude of up to 5,000 metres (16,400 ft) and can be utilized in the Siachen Glacier and Eastern Ladakh.

The LCH has been designed to take out enemy air defence systems and can fire both air-to-ground and air-to-air missiles. In June 2024, HAL had received the tender for the 156 helicopters, and the CCS approval now paves the way for prior production.

The CCS also cleared a contract worth over ₹7,000 crore for 307 Advanced Towed Artillery Gun Systems (ATAGS) in another development. The ATAGS assignment will be shared between Bharat Forge and Tata Group, giving an added boost to the indigenous defence producing sector of India.