Inside the Quiet Push to Integrate Ukrainian Engines into India’s Military Aviation Fleet

Inside the Quiet Push to Integrate Ukrainian Engines into India’s Military Aviation Fleet

How a network of ex-defence officers, offshore intermediaries, and shell entities positioned Ukrainian technology for the Indian Air Force’s MI-17 helicopters—bypassing traditional defence channels.

In the shadows of the Russia-Ukraine conflict and India’s strategic military recalibrations, a lesser-known but far-reaching initiative has been quietly underway: the attempted introduction of Ukrainian-made helicopter engines into the Indian Air Force (IAF) fleet—specifically for its MI-17 series.

At the centre of this unfolding network is Sumant Kapur , a non-resident Indian businessman who, along with a cluster of retired Indian Air Force and Army officers, intermediaries, and shell entities, has been working to facilitate the procurement and integration of Ukrainian aero engines into Indian defence platforms. What has emerged is a complex web of strategic placements, corporate fronts, and foreign links—all converging on India’s highly sensitive defence procurement ecosystem.

 

The Companies: Corporate Fronts for Engine Trials

The operational push has revolved around three Indian-registered private firms:

1. Ivchenko Progress India Pvt Ltd

This company positions itself as a player in indigenous capability development for aero engine technologies—catering to military platforms such as fighter jets, helicopters, trainers, transport aircraft, and UAVs. Ivchenko India is backed by strategic partnerships with Ukrainian state entities: Ivchenko Progress SE and Motor Sich JSC. Key figures here include Shalini Kapoor—sister of Pawan Khaba (a Kyiv-based associate of Sumant Kapur)—and Air Commodore Ashutosh Lal (Retd), who formerly served as India’s Air Attaché to Ukraine.

2. Aqila Technologies and Integration Solutions Pvt Ltd

Specializing in defence and space systems integration, Aqila focuses on proprietary solutions for fighter aircraft and related systems. The company is helmed by several ex-IAF officers including Air Commodore Ajay Rathore (Retd) (Managing Director), Wing Commander Sudhir Verma (Retd), and Rajat Kapoor, who serves as a key liaison between Sumant Kapur’s foreign and Indian operations.

3. Zorya Mashproekt India Pvt Ltd

Closely linked to Ivchenko and Aqila, this company includes Shalini Kapoor, Varun Sunil Shah, and Guru Prasad Biswal on its board. Notably, in December 2023, Bharat Forge acquired a 51% stake in this entity—marking a significant move by a major Indian defence player into a previously opaque venture.

 

Behind the Curtain: The Engine Trials and Foreign Ties

Sources familiar with the matter confirmed that Sumant Kapur personally funded the procurement and transportation of two Ukrainian MI-17 engines to India for trials with the IAF. These efforts, bypassing conventional defence public sector undertakings, were coordinated in part during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s historic visit to Ukraine, during which Sumant Kapur, Air Commodore Lal, and Ajay Rathore are said to have presented the Ivchenko engines to IAF representatives.

The Le Meridien office in Delhi, operating under the Ivchenko Progress India banner, serves as the nerve centre for these operations, fully funded by Sumant Kapur and managed by Rajat Kapoor and Shalini Kapoor, both acting as operational fronts.

 

 

The Team: Retired Officers and Intermediaries

A distinctive feature of this network is its reliance on a cadre of retired senior defence officials and intermediaries with deep institutional knowledge and diplomatic links. Key players include:

• Air Commodore Ajay Rathore (Retd) – Former IAF officer and managing head of Aqila; serves as Sumant Kapur’s second-in-command in India.

• Arun Sawhney – Operational lead for Sumant Kapur’s business with Russian links.

• Col Anil Yadav (Retd) – Involved in logistics and military liaison.

• Krishnan Sendhil Kumar – Director at ATX Systems, a firm believed to be funded by Sumant Kapur.

• Pushpanadhan Vellaparambil – Based in Dubai, manages financial operations and acts as Sumant Kapur’s offshore “money man.”

• Pawan Khaba – Kyiv-based associate with strong local networks; his sister Shalini is embedded across multiple India-registered firms.

• Rajat Kapoor – Director in both Ivchenko India and Aqila, coordinating Sumant Kapur’s Indian business interests.

This strategic placement of ex-servicemen lends both credibility and access to sensitive military channels, despite these companies operating in a quasi-private capacity with direct foreign funding.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ukraine's Western Tether and the Geopolitical Undercurrent

The integration of Ukrainian defence technologies into India’s systems carries broader geopolitical implications. Ukraine’s defence sector is entirely dependent on Western funding, especially from the United States, and any transfer of dual-use or military-grade technologies requires approval from Western agencies. While no evidence exists publicly linking U.S. agencies to direct involvement in this project, industry insiders confirm that all Ukrainian energy and defence transfers are subject to Western oversight.

Given India’s balancing act between Russia (its traditional defence supplier) and growing ties with Ukraine and the West, the entry of Ivchenko engines through private channels, potentially undermining Russian interests, raises questions about procurement transparency and strategic alignment.

 

Conclusion: A Trial or a Trojan Horse?

While Indian defence acquisitions are often bogged down by bureaucracy, offset obligations, and opaque policy shifts, this initiative stands out for its private execution, aggressive funding, and covert trial efforts—all while circumventing traditional channels like HAL or DRDO.

Whether this is an innovative Make-in-India driven manoeuvre or a backdoor opening to foreign influence in India's critical aerospace domain is a question that policymakers and defence analysts must urgently confront.

One thing is clear: the quiet engine trials may be over, but the real scrutiny has only just begun.