- We Will Build Our Own Aircraft – Guru Prasad Biswal on Bharat Forge’s Aviation Roadmap
- Bharat Forge Aerospace Targets 10X Growth, Eyes AMCA and UAV Leadership
- Unmanned, Indigenous and Ambitious. Bharat Forge’s Next Phase in Aerospace
By Sangeeta Saxena
Dubai. 22 November 2025. At the Dubai Airshow 2025, Bharat Forge Aerospace is making its most assertive statement yet. The company is shifting from a component manufacturer to a platform player. In an insightful conversation with Aviation and Defence Universe (ADU). Guru Prasad Biswal, CEO – Aerospace, Bharat Forge revealed the company’s strategic leap into unmanned systems, aircraft assembly, indigenous capability building, and ambitious partnerships that could reshape India’s aerospace future. From collaborating with global players and Indian start-ups to targeting the AMCA final assembly. Biswal spoke about the company’s roadmap with rare clarity and confidence.
ADU. We are meeting at Dubai Airshow and Bharat Forge has had an extremely active stall for the last three days. What are you showcasing here and how do you see the Middle East and West Asia as a market?
Guru Biswal. If you look at the growth of aerospace… we started almost 10–12 years ago, but this was largely in terms of making components… because aerospace requires certifications from the OEMs. So we were slow and we knew that this is going to take time. In the last two years, we were very clear that we want to have the second phase of our growth.
ADU. So what defines this second phase of growth for Bharat Forge Aerospace?
Guru Biswal. In the last 10 years, we are good in making components, supplying to Rolls Royce, Honeywell, Liebherr… But while that was one area of growth, the second is — what do we do in terms of aircraft? Do we want to make aircraft? Military? Commercial? Regional? General aviation?
ADU. How did you narrow down what Bharat Forge should focus on?
Guru Biswal. We were very clear we have always played where there is a gap in terms of capability in the country. Even though we have our own aircraft like LCA, we have a gap in scaling. So there is no point in having a beautiful aircraft but we cannot make it, even for our own forces.
ADU. That’s a powerful observation. So what comes next?
Guru Biswal. We said let’s not get stuck to the manned versions. So then the thought started that are we going to support HAL in terms of that or are we going to just become like Tata’s, setting up facilities and then have OEMs. Of course, these are high investment, high capex decisions. So largely we came up with a model wherein while we want to make aircraft, let’s not get stuck to the manned versions of it. Let’s look at HALE, let’s look at MALE category of aircraft and let’s look at making them fly. So we started saying that we will get into anything that is unmanned also.
ADU. You have the tie-up with Windracers as well.
Guru Biswal. Yes… this logistics drone was a fit in the puzzle… Everybody is focusing on attack missiles, drones, ISR. We decided to focus on a logistics drone which will help in creating last mile connectivity for supplying to military and will be an asset in all terrains for civilian application. It is dual purpose.
ADU. So how will Bharat Forge manage technology independence while co-developing with partners?
Guru Biswal. You just can’t be taking something from OEM and then get dependent upon them. You need to have your own. And that’s where the strength of Bharat Forge lies… we will build our own control systems. We will build our own motors. We want to be out of China – where no part of China’s equipment comes and sits in our airframe.
ADU. How does this link to the MALE programme and AMCA consortium with BEML and Data Patterns?
Guru Biswal. We will be very aggressive on that. We have a consortium. All these beads were into that larger chain of getting into the aircraft assembly and manufacturing… We would really come out successful… We really get into AMCA as a lead partner where we work with ADA to set up the final assembly hangar.
ADU. Without government orders yet, is it risky to invest so early?
Guru Biswal. We don’t want to really wait for an order… It is the same thing Mr. Baba Kalyani did for the ATAGS. He put in facilities, talent, then resources. We are taking that step in aerospace. We have a product and make it easier for the government to decide.
ADU. Why showcase this transformation first at the Dubai Airshow?
Guru Biswal. We want to move from a typical component supplier to a platform supplier… And the past discussions have been largely in terms of lot of interest, including Middle East. So there was nothing better than Dubai to showcase this. Aerospace world is here to buy and sell and this makes it a great market.
ADU. What do you call the new identity globally — Bharat Forge Aerospace or Kalyani Aerospace?
Guru Biswal. Bharat Forge Aerospace.
ADU. What critical aviation technologies is Bharat Forge Aerospace planning to address in aerospace manufacturing?
Guru Biswal. India has no proven technology for landing gear systems, whether for commercial or defence aviation, and that is a key gap we are working to bridge. Our goal is to build capabilities that support everything from Airbus programmes to future platforms like AMCA, so that the country does not remain dependent on foreign suppliers for essential aircraft systems.
ADU. Landing gear is a specialised, safety-critical system. How does Bharat Forge Aerospace plan to develop and certify such technology?
Guru Biswal. Landing gear certification requires a unique combination of metallurgy, forging strength, machining precision, testing infrastructure and simulation capability. We already have strong metallurgical capabilities at Bharat Forge, and we are now aligning them with aerospace-grade requirements. Certification will be pursued jointly with OEM partners and global testing labs. We are building technology, not just capacity.
ADU. Will this initiative be limited to military platforms or expand into civil aviation as well?
Guru Biswal. Both. For military aircraft like LCA and AMCA, indigenisation of landing gear is a national requirement. But commercial aircraft, including regional jets and business jets, also represent long-term markets. Our philosophy is simple. If India builds aircraft in future, Bharat Forge must be able to supply critical systems like landing gear, actuators and transmission systems.
ADU. How important are strategic collaborations in achieving this vision?
Guru Biswal. Very important. We are not trying to reinvent everything. Where partnerships make sense, we will collaborate. But our objective is clear. We must own the technology. Partnerships should accelerate learning, not create new dependencies. The idea is co-development, not contract manufacturing.
ADU. Will these systems eventually be exported?
Guru Biswal. Absolutely. Once indigenous landing gear design and certification matures, India can supply globally, just like we export advanced forgings to global programmes today. We have already proven that Indian technology can become part of world-class aerospace supply chains.
ADU. What is Bharat Forge Aerospace’s five-year vision?
Guru Biswal. I will not talk of specific numbers, but I can say we are growing ten times and we will become almost 20% of Bharat Forge’s revenue. The CapEx, the talent, everything is already in place, and there is a big bet Mr. Kalyani has taken. I am sure there will be a time when you will see an aircraft made by Bharat Forge, and I say this with complete confidence. We continue to remain an agile business unit because, despite understanding the ethos and culture of Bharat Forge, we still operate like a startup with the flexibility to move fast. We have avoided bureaucracy and focused clearly on where we want to go, backed by strong talent and people development, because all dreams fall apart without good people at the helm. We are going 10 times… I will become almost like 20% of Bharat Forge’s revenue.
Bharat Forge Aerospace’s message at Dubai Airshow 2025 marks a historic pivot. The company is transforming from precision components to complete platforms. Bharat Forge Ltd., has set up a dedicated Gas Turbine & Technology Development Centre in Bengaluru, focused on the ab-initio design and development of gas turbine engines in India. The Centre houses a full-fledged test lab where a team of experienced aerospace scientists and designers work alongside and mentor young engineers, encouraging innovation and advancing India’s propulsion technology ecosystem. With an audacious plan to build indigenous unmanned systems, participate in the MALE programme, and target final assembly of AMCA. The group is positioning itself as a future aircraft-maker from India. Backed by global collaborations, internal manufacturing strengths, and a bold 10X growth target. Guru Prasad Biswal’s conviction captures a moment of transformation not just for Bharat Forge, but for India’s aerospace industry as a whole.
As told to Sangeeta Saxena/ Interview conducted at Dubai Airshow 2025
