India joins elite group with first home-grown 350 kg thrust expendable turbojet

India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation announced the successful creation of a 350 kg-thrust expendable turbojet, the nation’s first indigenous engine of this class. Designed by the Gas Turbine Research Establishment and manufactured by Hyderabad-based Azad Engineering, the engine is intended for single-use platforms such as cruise missiles, jet-driven loitering munitions, target drones and tactical UAVs.

The initial production unit has been handed over to GTRE, highlighting growing collaboration between public labs and private firms in India’s aerospace sector. Experts note that mastering compact turbojet technology, a field dominated by a handful of countries, reduces dependence on imported propulsion and supports the broader Aatmanirbhar Bharat defence agenda. While the engine is not a fighter-jet powerplant, its development builds critical knowledge in compressors, turbines and high-temperature materials that can feed future, higher-thrust projects. Analysts caution that the step toward reusable fighter engines remains far more demanding, but the new turbojet is a pivotal building block for India’s expanding missile and drone capabilities.