• What? Inauguration of Dhruv-NG civil helicopter and first flight flagged off
• By Whom? Union Minister Ram Mohan Naidu, MoCA
• Where? Bengaluru, Karnataka
• Operator: HAL
• Variant: Civil version of the indigenous Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH)
• Engines: Twin Shakti 1H1C engines
• Weight & Capacity: Maximum take-off weight 5,500 kg, carries up to 14 passengers
• Speed & Range: Maximum speed 285 km/h, range ~630 km, endurance ~3 hours 40 minutes
• Purpose: Designed for civil aviation with focus on safety, performance, passenger comfort, and global market standards.

About Dhruv-NG :
Aircraft: The Dhruv NG is an Advanced Light Helicopter(ALH) developed and manufactured by HAL, designed to meet civil aviation requirements and represent a significant advance in India’s indigenous aerospace capabilities.
Type: A 5.5-tonne, light twin-engine, multi-role civil helicopter suitable for Very Important Person(VIP) transport, air ambulance, offshore operations, law enforcement, disaster relief, and Search and Rescue (SAR).
Engines: Powered by twin Shakti 1H1C(One Helicopter, One Engine Control) engines, offering higher power, internal maintenance in India.
Weight & Capacity: Maximum take-off weight 5,500 kilogram (kg), carries up to 14 passengers.
Speed & Range: Maximum speed 285 kilometer per hour (km/h), range of 630 km, endurance 3 hours 40 minutes, and a service ceiling of 6,000 meter (m).
Cockpit: Features a civil-certified glass cockpit compliant with Avionics System Level 4 (AS4) standards, integrated with modern avionics for superior situational awareness.
Safety: Includes crashworthy seats, self-sealing fuel tanks, twin-engine redundancy, and advanced vibration-control systems for a smooth and secure flight.
Cabin: The 7.33 cubic metre (m3) cabin is configurable for VIP transport (4–6 seats), air ambulance (4 stretchers plus doctor and attendant), or up to 14 passengers with 1,000 kilogram (kg) payload.
Support: HAL provides end-to-end manufacturing, maintenance, and upgrades, with Power-By-Hour (PBH) and Performance-Based Logistics (PBL) ensuring high fleet serviceability.
Indigenous: Represents a major milestone in India’s rotary-wing technology and offers a high-performance, cost-effective alternative to imported light twin-engine helicopters.
About Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL):
HAL is a Central Public Sector Enterprise (CPSE) under the Department of Defence Production, Ministry of Defence (MoD), originally established as Hindustan Aircraft on 22 December 1940 and restructured as HAL in 1964.
Chairman and Managing Director (CMD)- Dr. D.K. Sunil
Headquarters– Bengaluru, Karnataka