NAeL to make fuselage for Helicopters.

Naini Aerospace Limited (NAeL), Prayagraj, a unit of HAL, was manufacturing fuselage structures and wiring looms for skid-based Dhruv helicopters, mainly used by the Indian Army.

The company planned to expand into manufacturing fuselage structures and wiring looms for wheel-based Dhruv helicopters for the Indian Navy and Air Force. HAL Bengaluru experts were expected to inspect and modify the existing jigs/workstations to enable this production.

At that time:

• NAeL had manufactured 10 Dhruv fuselages at its Naini facility.
• It was already producing wiring looms for Dhruv and Tejas.
• ISRO was expected to approve NAeL for manufacturing looms for satellite launch vehicles.
• The company targeted producing four wheel-based Dhruv fuselages by March 2021, subject to jig modifications and approvals.

Key takeaway: NAeL's Naini facility was being positioned to move beyond skid-type helicopter structures into wheel-based Dhruv structures, while expanding its aerospace wiring-loom business.