Welcome to the Helicopter Division of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited.

HAL'S involvement with rotary-winged aircraft dates back to June 1962 when, to meet the Indian Air Force's requirement for light helicopters, the Government of India signed a licence agreement with M/s SUD-AVIATION (Presently M/s EUROCOPTER, France).

The first helicopter type to be built at HAL Bangalore was the Alouette ill, later named Chetak with firm orders having been placed in January 1965, the "raw material" production phase beginning in 1969-70. The Alouette II, with the dynamics including powerplant of the Alouette ill was specifically developed to meet the Indian Army's stringent requirement and was christened Lama by the French (and Cheetah by the Indians). The SA-315B licence-agreement was signed in September 1970. First Cheetah manufactured from raw materials was delivered in 1976-77.

In the initial stages of helicopter manufacturing, except for the assembly departments, all other shops were common with those of Aircraft Division. Consequent to the re-organisation of the Bangalore Complex, a separate division was evolved for the manufacture of helicopters, established in July 1970 and the new buildings of the Helicopter Division inaugurated by the then President of India, V.V.Giri on 17 July 1974.

Licence agreement for the manufacture of CHEETAH (SA-315- LAMA) was signed with M/s SNIAS, France (Presently M/s EUROCOPTER, France) in September 1970 and the first Cheetah helicopter manufactured from raw materials was delivered during 1976-77.

Over the next twenty years, HAL's Helicopter Division produced hundreds of Chetak and Cheetah helicopters for the Indian Air Force, Navy, Army and Coast Guard as also for a number of civilian customers, including State Governments while a score or more were exported. The Division has produced 336 Chetak and 246 Cheetah Helicopters so far and overhauled more than 200 helicopters of both the types. It has also undertaken the Cat 'B' repairs of more than 75 helicopters and put them back into operation.

The Helicopter Division, to which is adjoined the Helicopter Design Bureau (now Rotary Wing R&D Centre) and Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) prototype hangers, has 42,000 sq.metres of factory buildings in which the manufacturing, assembly and testing facilities are established. The Division employs 1100 persons, including engineers, and is set to expand with the envisaged series production of the ALH.