Test-Bed Approval Delays Stall HAL's Gas Turbine Engine Project: Panel

• HAL's gas turbine engine project faces significant delays due to slow test-bed approvals and procurement bottlenecks, as highlighted by a Parliament panel.
• The Committee on Public Undertakings (CPU) urged the Ministry of Defence (MoD) to provide a definitive action plan with timelines and funding for critical testing infrastructure.
• Delays, including land clearance issues, have added over three years to the project, leading HAL to write off Rs 159.23 crore.
• The project involves developing a 25 kN engine for jet trainers and a turboshaft engine for helicopters, with Stage II ongoing since 2018.
• The CPU warned that continued delays undermine India's "Atmanirbhar Bharat" goals in strategic aerospace systems.

Why It Matters: Bureaucratic delays hinder India's critical defense self-reliance goals.