Kaveri Engine Program: India’s Long Road to Indigenous Jet Propulsion Power

India’s quest for an indigenous jet engine is one of the most complex and strategically consequential technology journeys undertaken by the country. This intelligence product by Global Eye Intelligence delivers a hard, unromantic, and deeply analytical assessment of the Kaveri engine program—its ambitions, setbacks, breakthroughs, and what it truly means for India’s defence sovereignty.

The report examines why jet engine development sits at the apex of military-industrial capability, detailing the technological hurdles India faced in materials science, thermal management, thrust-to-weight ratios, and digital engine control systems. It explains how early operational shortfalls shaped force structure decisions, delayed self-reliance goals, and reinforced dependence on foreign propulsion systems—while simultaneously building critical institutional knowledge inside India’s aerospace ecosystem.

Crucially, this analysis goes beyond failure narratives. It traces how the program generated long-term strategic value through derivative applications, unmanned platforms, and renewed international collaboration pathways that could redefine India’s next-generation combat aircraft ambitions. The study also connects propulsion autonomy to future air dominance, supply-chain resilience, sanctions risk, and sustained operational readiness.

Why this matters now: nations that master jet engine technology control the tempo of air power for decades. Those who track this evolution early understand where India is heading—long before capability shifts become visible.

Follow Global Eye Intelligence to stay ahead of defence technologies that quietly decide tomorrow’s balance of power.