NEW DELHI, Oct. 7 -- Defence minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday said the government is pursuing a programme to develop an indigenous high-thrust aero-engine with a proposed investment of around Rs.5,000 crore, stressing that self-reliance in aerospace must extend to engine technology, particularly for the advanced medium combat aircraft (AMCA) programme. "Self-reliance in aero-engines is the foundation of India's complete aerospace sovereignty," he said. Singh made the remarks in Koraput, where he witnessed Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) deliver the 2,000th aero-engine --- the AL-31FP that powers the Sukhoi-30MKI. "Work underway on indigenous high-thrust engines, testing infrastructure, raw materials, and robust MRO (maintenance, repair and overhaul) capabilities is building a strong engine ecosystem in the country," he said. Apart from announcing the Rs.5,000-crore investment, Singh also emphasised the indigenisation of raw materials in partnership with Mishra Dhatu Nigam Limited (MIDHANI), as well as the establishment of India's first indigenous high-thrust engine testing facility. Last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a strong case for building jet engines in the country, highlighting a stark technology gap and stressing that self-reliance will be central to India's ambition of becoming a developed nation by 2047. With technology transfer from Russia, HAL's Koraput division has produced the R-11, R-25, R-29 and RD-33 engines for different MiG variants, including the MiG-21, Mig-27 and MiG-29, operated by the Indian Air Force. The Su-30's AL-31FP engine is also produced there. The construction of the 2,000th engine by HAL Koraput is a historic milestone in India's aerospace journey, Singh said. " He also inaugurated a second production line for Shakti engines at Koraput, aimed at meeting the growing engine requirements of indigenous helicopters, including the Dhruv advanced light helicopter and Prachand light combat helicopter....