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Raju said the preliminary design of this engine would be

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Press Trust of India
reviewed in September this year, and the prototype is planned to be tested in three years. Tyagi said HAL plans to design, develop and manufacture UAVs in partnership with research and development and other "teaching" institutions. It's already in discussions with IIT Kanpur and Indian Institute of Sciences Bangalore, among others. HAL wants to become a manufacturing and maintenance hub for UAVs, he said. HAL has proposed to the Union Home Ministry that the Navratna company will prepare a blueprint vis-a-vis UAV requirements for paramilitary forces and also "requirements of cross-border terrorism". The company plans an investment of Rs 500 crore to spearhead its UAV business initiatives, he said. "We have created a special UAV business group". HAL is today a USD three billion company. Tyagi said the company aims to become a USD 10 billion firm by 2020 encompassing its business in military and civil aviation, MRO (maintenance, repair and overhaul of aircraft) and UAV. The company needs to make an investment of Rs 19,000 crore by 2020 to create infrastructure and facilities for undertaking various programmes, Tyagi said. He said HAL is in discussion with the Human Resource Development Ministry to create an aviation university based in Bangalore which will be "full-fledged in every way".

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First Published: Feb 07 2013 | 3:30 PM IST

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