# HAL pitches Dhruv NG to states, eyes 25% revenue from civilian sales

2026-09-18T04:52:08+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk

Corroboration: 3 independent outlets

Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has approached all state governments to sell its Dhruv NG helicopter for roles including VIP transport, medical evacuation, offshore operations and heli-tourism. The company aims to raise non-military revenue from 5% to 25% of turnover over the next decade. HAL chairman and managing director Ravi K said most states are keen on the helicopter, which he described as a game-changer. Four Dhruv NGs will be handed over to Pawan Hans on Friday, with six more due by December. The deliveries are part of a larger event in Bengaluru where Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu will oversee the handover of two LCA Mk-1 Tejas trainers and the first four HTT-40 basic trainers to the Indian Air Force. The IAF ordered 70 HTT-40s for Rs 6,838 crore to replace foreign trainers. HAL estimates India will need around 400 helicopters in the Dhruv NG category in the coming years.

## Indian Opinion Analysis

HAL's outreach to state governments for Dhruv NG is the lead in two of the three sources, but the framing differs. The Hindustan Times lead emphasises HAL's commercial ambition, 25% turnover target and a 'game-changer' quote from the CMD, while Mathrubhumi adds the context of earlier safety concerns being resolved. ABP Live instead front-loads the HTT-40 trainer handover, demoting Dhruv NG to a third item in the ceremony. The consistent thread is indigenous manufacturing, but the policy significance is wider: India's helicopter market estimate of 400 units will test whether civilian demand matches HAL's projection. The Pawan Hans delivery on Friday provides the first commercial benchmark.

## Coverage

- hindustantimes.com (pro government) <https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/hindustan-aeronautics-limited-pitches-dhruv-ng-to-states-for-civil-aviation-push-101789702484881.html>
  Leads with commercial strategy and CMD quote, omits earlier ALH safety concerns
- english.mathrubhumi.com (neutral report) <https://english.mathrubhumi.com/news/india/hal-pitches-dhruv-ng-helicopter-to-states-civil-aviation-x3uqcsno>
  Includes ALH safety concerns being addressed and lists four civilian roles
- news.abplive.com (neutral report) <https://news.abplive.com/news/india/htt-40-trainer-aircraft-india-set-to-hand-over-first-indigenous-trainer-to-air-force-tejas-dhruv-ng-1867197>
  Leads with HTT-40 trainer delivery, treats Dhruv NG as third item

Tags: Dhruv NG, HAL, Indian Air Force, Pawan Hans
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