Inside the Engine Lobby: How Ukrainian Defence Firms Found a Backdoor into India’s Military Aviation

New Delhi — As India ramps up its efforts to indigenize military manufacturing under the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative, an unusual confluence of Ukrainian engine manufacturers, retired Indian Air Force officers, and shadowy intermediaries has quietly gained traction within the corridors of the Indian defence establishment. At the centre of this web lies Sumant Kapur , an elusive businessman who has played a pivotal role in bringing Ukrainian helicopter engine technology to India’s Mi-17 helicopter fleet — a move raising both strategic interest and red flags.

A Network Rooted in Kyiv

The operation spans continents. Two primary entities — Ivchenko Progress India Pvt Ltd and Aqila Technologies and Integration Solutions Pvt Ltd — have been the visible arms of this movement. Their mission: integrate Ukrainian-built aero engines into Indian defence platforms including fighter jets, trainers, helicopters, and unmanned systems.

Both companies enjoy strategic backing from Ukrainian OEMs Ivchenko Progress SE and Motor Sich JSC. At the operational helm in India is a well-connected circle of retired IAF officers and businessmen with family or professional ties to Ukraine.

• Shalini Kapoor, sister of Pawan — a Ukrainian nightclub owner with deep India connections — serves as Director at both Ivchenko Progress India and Zorya Mashproekt India Pvt Ltd.

• Air Commodore Ashutosh Lal (Retd), former Air Attaché to Ukraine, is closely involved in marketing Ukrainian engine technology.

• Air Commodore Ajay Rathore (Retd), who heads Aqila Technologies, is a central figure in managing SK’s Indian operations and liaising with defence personnel.

The Strategic Play: Replacing Russian Dependence

India's overdependence on Russian platforms has created vulnerability, particularly for the aging Mi-17 fleet. With Moscow increasingly unreliable due to geopolitical tensions, Ukrainian engines present an alternative — and Sumant Kapur's network saw the opportunity.

In a bold move, Sumant Kapur personally financed the shipment of two Ivchenko engines from Ukraine to India for IAF trials — a gamble that underscores both conviction and clout. The objective was clear: replace Russian engines with Ukrainian alternatives, with integration and support managed locally by Ivchenko Progress India and Aqila.

A third company, Zorya Mashproekt India Pvt Ltd, also under Sumant Kapur’s web, saw a strategic acquisition in December 2023 — with Bharat Forge acquiring a 51% stake. This positioned the venture as part of India’s push for indigenous defence capability, even though the backbone remains foreign.

The Hotel Office and Political Timing

The office of Ivchenko Progress India, run from a suite in Le Meridien, Commercial Tower New Delhi, is said to be directly funded by Sumant Kapur. SK has taken up residency in Dubai, and now runs his operations from a discreet office in the city, far from the regulatory scrutiny of the United Kingdom. His relocation marks a strategic shift—allowing him to concentrate fully on the arms trade and orchestrate a sprawling web of front companies designed to ensure the seamless movement and supply of weapons across international borders.

During Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s state visit to Ukraine, Sumat Kapur, accompanied by Ajay Rathore and Ashutosh Lal, positioned the Ivchenko engine pitch prominently before the Indian Air Force — a carefully timed manoeuvre leveraging diplomatic attention.

Frontmen and Fixers

At the heart of operations are men with access and influence:

• Rajat Kapoor, listed as Director in both Aqila and Ivchenko, is Sumant Kapur’s operational front in India.

• Pushpanadhan Vellaparambil, based in Dubai, is believed to handle financial logistics — earning the moniker “the money man” inside industry circles.

• Arun Sawhney, another key figure, manages Russian engagement for Sumant Kapur and holds a valid Russian visa.

• Col Anil Yadav (Retd) and Wing Commander Rakesh Madhra (Retd) have also played roles in the growing influence campaign.

Meanwhile, entities like ATX Systems, another Sumant Kapur-backed firm, are pushing into parallel defence tech domains, hinting at a broader defence-tech conglomerate in the making.

Questions of Influence and Oversight

This growing ecosystem of private intermediaries — many of them retired military officers — brings both promise and peril. The legitimacy of Ukrainian technology is not in question; it’s the opaque nature of its entry into India’s defence apparatus, backed by private capital and personalities with no official mandate, that raises alarms.

Is this Make in India — or Market in India under foreign control?

The Stakes: Strategic Autonomy or Backdoor Dependence?

With Ukrainian firms like Motor Sich under intense Chinese interest, and Ukrainian-Russian military tech deeply intertwined, India's partnerships must be treaded carefully. While Sumant Kapur’s network positions itself as enablers of indigenization, the reality is a foreign-powered pipeline cloaked in Indian incorporation.

As the Indian government courts global defence manufacturers while pushing for indigenous capabilities, the line between strategic collaboration and quiet co-option grows thinner. The involvement of private networks with deep foreign linkages — without oversight or transparent bidding — calls for urgent scrutiny.

India may well need new engines — but at what cost, and through whose hands?