Union Civil Aviation Minister flags off next-generation helicopter Dhruv NG in Bengaluru
Bengaluru (PTI): Union Minister Ram Mohan Naidu on Tuesday flagged off the inaugural flight of the next-generation civil helicopter Dhruv NG, designed and manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, to meet the requirements of the civil aviation market.
Before take-off from HAL here, the minister joined the pilot in the cockpit to gain firsthand insight into the helicopter's advanced systems and features.
According to HAL officials, Dhruv NG, a sophisticated 5.5-tonne, light twin-engine, multi-role helicopter engineered to master the diverse and demanding requirements of the Indian terrain is specifically upgraded to meet the rigorous demands of the global civil aviation market.
ALSO READ: UP: Farmer shot dead over land dispute in Firozabad, brother injured
Addressing a gathering after witnessing the maiden inaugural flight, the minister said the event marked a “very important milestone in Indian aviation history” and congratulated the entire HAL workforce, from designers and engineers to technicians, for the achievement.
He said HAL had long functioned like a bicycle with one dominant wheel—defence—but was now evolving into a balanced organisation riding on two equal wheels: defence and civil aviation.
“This is an especially proud moment for me as the civil aviation minister,” he said, adding that the development reflected India’s growing confidence in indigenous aerospace manufacturing.
He emphasised that the Dhruv-NG was not just a machine but a symbol of India’s capability, confidence and commitment to Aatmanirbhar Bharat.
Naidu recalled inspecting the aircraft at Aero India earlier this year and expressed satisfaction that the long-awaited inaugural flight had been completed within a year.
He also termed the handing over of the type certificate by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) for the indigenous Shakti engine as a "defining moment" for the civil aviation sector.
Referring to India’s rapid aviation growth, he said the country had become the world’s third-largest domestic aviation market, driven by the Prime Minister’s vision of making air travel accessible to the common citizen. However, he said, strengthening indigenous manufacturing remained a key challenge.
ALSO READ: Fog disrupts Delhi airport ops; 118 flights cancelled, 16 diverted
"It is estimated that we will add over 1,000 helicopters in the next 10 to 15 years, enabled by the regional connectivity UDAN scheme — Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik — driven by the Prime Minister’s mission to make aviation more inclusive, democratic and impactful," he added.
The HAL officials said Dhruv NG helicopter, which represents a milestone in indigenous rotary-wing capability has been designed for enhanced safety, performance, and passenger comfort.
The helicopter is equipped with twin Shakti 1H1C engines, providing enhanced power ratings and the advantage of internal maintenance capabilities within India.
It features a world-class, civil-certified glass cockpit, compliant with AS4 requirements, and a modern avionics suite for superior situational awareness, they said.
In terms of safety and reliability, Dhruv NG incorporates crashworthy seats, self-sealing fuel tanks, and a proven twin-engine configuration for high redundancy.
In terms of ride quality, the officials said that the helicopter has advanced vibration control systems to ensure a smooth ride, tailored for VIP and medical transport.
Listing its features, the officials said maximum take-off weight of the next-generation civil helicopter is stated to be 5,500 kg, with a maximum speed of around 285 km/h, range of around 630 km (with a 20-minute reserve), endurance of around three hours and 40 minutes, service ceiling of around 6,000 metres (high-altitude capable), and internal payload of around 1,000 kg.
The Dhruv NG features a highly configurable cabin (7.33 cubic metres) adaptable for various civilian roles. For VIP/VVIP transport, it has luxury furnishings for four to six passengers, with a maximum capacity of 14 passengers.
As for its Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (Air Ambulance) role, the helicopter is equipped with a layout for four stretchers along with a doctor and attendant.
Its specialised roles include offshore operations, law enforcement, and disaster relief (SAR).
The Dhruv Civil NG is stated by HAL as a cost-effective, high-performance alternative to imported light twin-engine helicopters.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Screenwriter Salim Khan on ventilator support and stable, say doctors
Mumbai (PTI): Veteran screenwriter Salim Khan suffered a brain haemorrhage which has been tackled, is on ventilator support as a safeguard and stable, doctors treating him said on Wednesday, a day after he was admitted to the Lilavati Hospital here.
The 90-year-old, one half of the celebrated Salim-Javed duo which scripted films such as "Sholay", "Deewar" and "Don" with Javed Akhtar, is in the ICU and recovery might take some time given his age.
"His blood pressure was high for which we treated him and we had to put him on a ventilator because we wanted to do certain investigations. Now the ventilator was put as a safeguard so that his situation doesn't get worse. So it is not that he is critical," Dr Jalil Parkar told reporters.
"We did the investigations that were required and today we have done a small procedure on him, I will not go into the details. The procedure done is called DSA (digital subtraction angiography). The procedure has been accomplished, he is fine and stable and shifted back to ICU. By tomorrow, we hope to get him off the ventilator. All in all, he is doing quite well," he added.
Asked whether he suffered a brain haemorrhage, the doctor said, "Unko thoda haemorrhage hua tha, which we’ve tackled. No surgery is required.
As concern over Khan's health mounted, his children, including superstar Salman Khan and Arbaaz Khan, daughter Alvira, and sons-in-law Atul Agnihotri and Aayush Sharma, have been seen outside the hospital along with other well-wishers. His long-time partner Akhtar was also seen coming out of the hospital.
Khan, a household name in the 70s and 80s, turned 90 on November 24 last year. It was the day Dharmendra, the star of many of his films, including "Sholay", "Seeta aur Geeta" and "Yaadon Ki Baraat", passed away.
Hailing from an affluent family in Indore, Khan arrived in Mumbai in his 20s with dreams of stardom. He was good looking and confident he would make a mark in the industry as an actor. But that did not happen. And then, after struggling for close to a decade and getting confined to small roles in films, he changed lanes.
He worked as an assistant to Abrar Alvi and soon met Akhtar to form one of Hindi cinema's most formidable writing partnerships. They worked together on two dozen movies with most of them achieving blockbuster status.
Other than "Sholay", "Deewar" and "Don", Khan and Akhtar also penned "Trishul", "Zanjeer", "Seeta Aur Geeta", "Haathi Mere Saathi", "Yaadon Ki Baarat" and "Mr India".
