Manufacturing & industry
Hindustan Aeronautics Limited
India's state-owned aerospace maker, licensed since 2025 to build and sell ISRO's SSLV and, with L&T, producer of the first industry-built PSLV.
Hindustan Aeronautics Limited is India's state-owned aerospace manufacturer and, since September 2025, the only company licensed to build and sell an Indian orbital launch vehicle. It was incorporated at Bengaluru on 22 December 1940 as Hindustan Aircraft Limited by the industrialist Walchand Hirachand, reorganised under its present name on 1 October 1964, and remains 71 per cent owned by the Government of India, which granted it Maharatna status in October 2024. Its space work runs through the Aerospace Division in Bengaluru, which supplies ISRO with propellant tanks, feed lines and satellite structures for the PSLV, GSLV Mk II and GSLV Mk III, and integrates the L-40 strap-on stages of the GSLV Mk II.
In June 2025 ISRO picked HAL through competitive bidding to receive the Small Satellite Launch Vehicle in a deal reported at ₹511 crore, or about US$ 59.70 million. The technology transfer agreement was signed on 10 September 2025 by NewSpace India Limited, ISRO, IN-SPACe and HAL, and hands the company the right to build, own and commercialise the launcher — the first time a complete Indian launch vehicle has passed to a manufacturer. HAL is to absorb the technology over two years, building two SSLVs under ISRO's guidance before moving to a production phase, and can fly them from Sriharikota for inclined orbits and from the new complex at Kulasekarapattinam in Tamil Nadu, where ground was broken on 5 March 2025, for polar ones.
The vehicle HAL inherits is a three-stage all-solid rocket 34 metres tall and 2 metres wide that lifts up to 500 kg to low Earth orbit, and its record is uneven. The first developmental flight, on 7 August 2022, left its satellites in an unstable elliptical orbit that decayed after the mission software detected an accelerometer anomaly at second-stage separation and switched to open-loop guidance, firing the terminal stage for 0.1 seconds instead of the intended 20. The two flights that followed, in February 2023 and August 2024, reached their planned orbits.
The company's other space line is the PSLV. On 5 September 2022 a consortium of HAL and Larsen & Toubro took an ₹860 crore contract from NewSpace India Limited for the end-to-end realisation of five PSLV-XL vehicles over four years, produced under a government-owned, contractor-operated arrangement that lets the two firms work in existing ISRO facilities. The consortium showed the first industry-built PSLV in November 2025 and expected to fly it with the Oceansat-3A Earth-observation satellite from Satish Dhawan Space Centre in early 2026. That flight has since moved to March 2027, and none of NewSpace India Limited, ISRO, HAL or L&T has publicly explained the postponement.
HAL's older ISRO work is industrial rather than headline-making. Its Aerospace Division had delivered 244 propellant tanks and 95 water tanks to the agency by October 2021, when it handed the Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre the heaviest semi-cryogenic propellant tank it had built; in April 2022 it passed ISRO the first set of Gaganyaan hardware from a newly opened PS2/GS2 stage-integration line in Bengaluru. President Droupadi Murmu opened the ₹208 crore Integrated Cryogenic Engine Manufacturing Facility, covering 4,500 square metres and holding over 70 machines for ISRO's CE20 cryogenic and SE2000 semi-cryogenic engines, on 27 September 2022. Ravi K became the company's 22nd chairman and managing director on 1 May 2026, succeeding D. K. Sunil.
What they build and operate
- SSLV · Launch vehicle · In development
Three-stage all-solid launcher transferred from ISRO in a deal reported at ₹511 crore; carries up to 500 kg to low Earth orbit, stands 34 m tall, and is to be built by HAL after a two-year absorption phase.[1][2][3][5] - PSLV-XL (industry-built) · Launch vehicle · In development
Five PSLV-XL vehicles contracted to the HAL–L&T consortium for ₹860 crore; the first was unveiled in November 2025 and is now expected to fly in March 2027.[7][8][10] - Launch-vehicle tankage and structures · Component · Operational
Propellant tanks, feed lines, satellite structures and integrated L-40 strap-on stages supplied to ISRO for PSLV, GSLV Mk II and GSLV Mk III; 244 propellant tanks delivered by October 2021.[18][14] - Gaganyaan hardware · Component · In development
Structures for India's human spaceflight programme; HAL handed ISRO the first set of Gaganyaan hardware in April 2022.[15]
Milestones
- 22 December 1940
Incorporated at Bengaluru as Hindustan Aircraft Limited by the industrialist Walchand Hirachand.[18] - October 2021
Delivered the heaviest semi-cryogenic propellant tank it had built, the SC120-LOX, to ISRO's Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre.[14] - April 2022
Handed ISRO the first set of Gaganyaan hardware from a new PS2/GS2 stage-integration facility in Bengaluru.[15] - 05 September 2022
The HAL–L&T consortium took an ₹860 crore NewSpace India Limited contract for end-to-end realisation of five PSLV-XL vehicles over four years.[7] - 27 September 2022
President Droupadi Murmu inaugurated the ₹208 crore Integrated Cryogenic Engine Manufacturing Facility in Bengaluru.[12][13][11] - October 2024
Granted Maharatna status by the Government of India.[18] - June 2025
Selected through competitive bidding to take over ISRO's SSLV in a deal reported at ₹511 crore.[2][3] - 10 September 2025
Signed the SSLV technology transfer agreement with NewSpace India Limited, ISRO and IN-SPACe, gaining the right to build, own and market the launcher.[1][4] - November 2025
Unveiled the first industry-built PSLV with L&T, then expected to launch the Oceansat-3A satellite in early 2026.[8][9] - 17 August 2026
The consortium's first PSLV slipped to March 2027 from an earlier early-2026 target, with no official reason disclosed.[10]
Facilities
- Aerospace Division · Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
Builds propellant tanks, launch-vehicle structures and stage integration for ISRO; 244 propellant tanks and 95 water tanks delivered by October 2021.[14][18] - Integrated Cryogenic Engine Manufacturing Facility · Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
₹208 crore plant of 4,500 square metres with over 70 machines, opened in September 2022 to produce ISRO's CE20 cryogenic and SE2000 semi-cryogenic engines.[12][11][13]
Leadership
- Ravi K
Chairman and Managing Director (as of 01 May 2026)[16][17] - Jayakrishnan S
Chief Executive Officer, Bangalore Complex (as of 10 September 2025)[1]
Sources
ISROTechnology Transfer Agreement signed for Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV)isro.gov.in
IBEFIndian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) transfers Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV) tech to defence major Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) in a Rs. 511 crore (US$ 59 million) dealibef.org
The WeekHAL takes flight: ₹511 crore SSLV deal with ISRO to propel India into commercial space orbittheweek.in
EvertiqISRO signs pact with HAL for transfer of SSLV technologyevertiq.com
WikipediaSmall Satellite Launch Vehicleen.wikipedia.org
ISROCommencement of the construction of SSLV Launch Complex at Kulasekarapattinam, Tamil Naduisro.gov.in
Indian Aerospace and Defence BulletinHAL-L&T Consortium Bags Rs 860 Crore PSLV Contractiadb.in
Angel OneHAL–L&T Consortium Unveil First Industry-Built PSLV Rocketangelone.in
Indian Defence NewsFirst Private Sector Built PSLV Rocket Launches Soonindiandefensenews.in
IndianWeb2HAL-L&T's First PSLV Slips to March 2027indianweb2.com
The TribunePresident Droupadi Murmu to inaugurate cryogenic engine facility at Bengaluru's HAL on Tuesdaytribuneindia.com
The AviationspaceThe President of India to Inaugurate HAL's Integrated Cryogenic Engine Manufacturing Facilityaviationspaceindia.com
Adda247 Current AffairsHAL Cryogenic Engines Manufacturing Facility inaugurated by President Murmucurrentaffairs.adda247.com
Defence StarIndia's HAL Delivers Heaviest Semi-cryogenic Propellant Tank To ISROdefencestar.in
ThePrintHindustan Aeronautics Limited hands over Gaganyaan hardware to ISROtheprint.in
SwarajyaRavi K Takes Over As HAL's Chairman And Managing Director, Vows To Build Globally Competitive Aerospace Enterpriseswarajyamag.com
PSU ConnectHAL CMD Dr D K Sunil Superannuates on 30 April 2026psuconnect.in
WikipediaHindustan Aeronautics Limiteden.wikipedia.org
Hindustan Aeronautics LimitedOfficial sitehal-india.co.in
Coverage of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited
Space policy
ISRO plans gradual transfer of mature rocket manufacturing to industry
PSLV and LVM3 transfer calls were already limited to private Indian entities. The change concerns who builds and commercialises mature vehicles, not an immediate end to ISRO missions or government launch work.
Launch industry
Industry-built PSLV targets March 2027 launch
The reported date is at least nine months later than a Q1 2026 target disclosed to Parliament, although first-stage stacking began in December. No reviewed source gives a cause.
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