The Chairman of ISRO, Dr. K. Radhakrishnan has recently laid the foundation stone for Integrated Cryogenic Engine Manufacturing (ICEM) facility on HAL land in presence of HAL Chairman, Dr. R. K. Tyagi. The facility is being set up over a built-up area of 5,560 sq m opposite to HAL's Aerospace Division and will be manned by HAL. 

ISRO will fund Rs139 crore for the facility. "Our plan is to establish the ICEM facility in next two years and we are proud to come out with a strategy on indigenous engines for our space missions in future", said Dr. Tyagi.

The major facilities planned at this upcoming ICEM unit include rotary vacuum brazing facility, machineries for sheet metal forming, CNC machines (mainly 5 axis) for complex geometry machining, tungsten inert gas/metal inert gas welding, the heat treatment facilities for special materials and testing facilities. The new facility is expected to have a turnover nearly Rs. 9 crores per year.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Radhakrishnan, hailed HAL's contribution to ISRO. "We remember HAL every time we succeed in our missions, the Mars Orbiter Mission being the latest. We have been partners in progress and will continue to be so in future too", he said.

Dr. Tyagi recalled the success stories of ISRO and assured the space agency the continued support in all its missions. "Together we will work to ensure that the make-in-India efforts succeed in the space sector", he said. "HAL is now transforming itself from being manufacturing company to technology driven company. We have identified 111 technologies which we need to master in next few years", he added.  He also pointed out that HAL has now registered over 500 patents as against single digit figure two years ago.

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