Paninian India Private Limited has announced the launch of the Yantur 4.5 kN Turbofan Engine Programme, marking what the company describes as India’s first privately developed turbofan engine in its category. The initiative is aimed at building indigenous propulsion technology for next-generation autonomous aerospace platforms and strengthening the country’s private-sector capabilities in advanced defence manufacturing.
The Yantur engine is being developed to power Svayatt L1, Paninian’s long-range autonomous cruise missile platform designed to meet the operational requirements of the Indian Ministry of Defence’s Make-I programme for the Long-Range Land Attack Cruise Missile (LRLACM). The company said the programme has successfully completed its conceptual and detailed design stages and is now moving into subsystem testing, validation and engine certification.
Paninian also stated that the engine’s core architecture has been designed with scalability in mind and can be expanded to generate up to 12.5 kN of thrust for future applications, including the company’s proposed Svayatt Combat Collaborative Autonomous Vehicle (CCAV) platform. The programme is intended to establish domestic expertise in compact turbofan propulsion, a technology considered critical for future long-range autonomous defence and aerospace systems. By developing key propulsion technologies within India’s private sector, the company aims to reduce dependence on imported technologies while supporting the country’s goal of achieving greater self-reliance in strategic aerospace manufacturing.
Dr G Gouda, former Group Director (Propulsion) at the Centre for Military Airworthiness and Certification (CEMILAC), said the programme represents an important step in expanding India’s indigenous propulsion capabilities. Having been associated with the certification and review of several propulsion programmes, including the GE404 and GE414 engines for India’s Light Combat Aircraft programme, he noted that the initiative complements the pioneering work carried out by DRDO scientists in advancing domestic engine development.
According to the company, the Yantur and Svayatt L1 programmes include five patent claims covering engine architecture, combustor and diffuser-nozzle design, compressor technology, digital twin-based health monitoring systems and advanced manufacturing methods. These technologies are expected to support the development of a family of propulsion systems for future autonomous aerospace applications.
Paninian said the programme is being executed by a multidisciplinary team with expertise in propulsion engineering, autonomous systems, materials science, digital engineering and advanced manufacturing. The project is supported by advisors and technology partners across manufacturing, testing, incubation and supply-chain development. Among the key contributors are propulsion specialist Dr G Gouda, engine controls and sensors expert Vaman Kulkarni, and materials and advanced manufacturing specialist Dr Vikas Kumar Saxena.
Raghu Adla, Founder of Paninian India Private Limited, said the Yantur programme reflects the company’s commitment to building indigenous propulsion technology for strategic aerospace applications. He said the project has progressed from concept to a credible engineering programme through the efforts of its engineering team, advisors and industry partners. The company is now seeking support from government agencies, industry stakeholders and investors to accelerate engine testing, subsystem qualification, full-system validation and integration with the Svayatt L1 platform.
To support the next phase of development, Paninian has initiated a USD 3 million funding round, which will be used to advance engine testing, certification, subsystem qualification and platform integration. The company said the Yantur programme forms part of its long-term strategy to develop a family of indigenous propulsion systems for autonomous aerospace platforms, contributing to India’s expanding defence technology and aerospace manufacturing ecosystem.
