Paninian unveils Yantur 4.5 kN turbofan engine plan
Tue, 21st Jul 2026 (Today)
Paninian India has unveiled the Yantur 4.5 kN turbofan engine programme, which it describes as India's first privately developed turbofan engine in this class.
The engine is being developed for the Svayatt L1, a long-range autonomous cruise missile platform intended to meet the operational requirements of the Indian Ministry of Defence's Make-I programme for a Long-Range Land Attack Cruise Missile.
The programme has completed its conceptual and detailed design phase and is moving into subsystem testing, validation and full-engine certification. Paninian also said the same engine core could be scaled to 12.5 kN for the Svayatt CCAV platform.
The project focuses on compact turbofan propulsion, a core technology for long-range autonomous aerospace systems. Paninian said the work is intended to build private-sector expertise in propulsion, engine controls, accessory systems, manufacturing and propulsion-airframe integration in India.
The announcement reflects a broader effort in India to expand domestic aerospace development and reduce reliance on overseas technology in strategic programmes. Paninian is positioning the engine as a privately led contribution to that goal.
According to the company, the Yantur and Svayatt L1 programmes include five patent claims covering engine family architecture, combustor and diffuser-nozzle design, compressor technology, digital-twin health monitoring and manufacturing methods.
These elements are intended to support a broader family of propulsion systems for future autonomous aerospace platforms. The programme draws on work across propulsion engineering, autonomous systems, materials science, manufacturing and digital engineering.
Named contributors include Dr G. Gouda, Former Group Director (Propulsion) at CEMILAC; engine controls and sensors specialist Mr Vaman Kulkarni; and materials and manufacturing specialist Dr Vikas Kumar Saxena. Paninian added that it is also working with technology, manufacturing, incubation, testing and supply-chain partners.
Dr G. Gouda has been involved in certification oversight for propulsion systems for four decades, including reviews linked to the GE404 and GE414 in India's Light Combat Aircraft programme. He described the effort as a complement to earlier public-sector work in indigenous propulsion.
"The programme represents an important step towards establishing sovereign Indian capability in compact turbofan propulsion, engine controls, accessory systems, advanced manufacturing and propulsion-airframe integration. It complements the pioneering efforts of DRDO scientists, whose work has laid a strong foundation for indigenous propulsion development," said Dr G. Gouda, Former Group Director (Propulsion), CEMILAC.
Paninian's founder also linked the programme to the company's broader ambitions in strategic autonomous systems. It is seeking support to move from design into more intensive testing and validation.
"Yantur represents a pioneering private-sector effort to build sovereign Indian propulsion capability for future strategic autonomous systems. This milestone belongs to our young engineering team, advisors and partners, who have transformed an ambitious vision into a credible engineering programme. We are now seeking strategic support from government, industry and investors to accelerate engine testing, subsystem qualification and full-system validation while helping establish a sustainable indigenous propulsion ecosystem," said Raghu Adla, Founder, Paninian India.
To support that work, Paninian is launching a USD 3 million funding round. The money is intended for engine testing, subsystem qualification, full-engine validation and integration with the Svayatt L1 platform.