Ravi K has assumed charge as the 22nd chairman and managing director of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) from Dr D.K. Sunil, who superannuated on 30 April 2026.

Ravi K brings over 30 years of experience across various sectors such as A&D, manufacturing and electronics. Prior to this, he was the director (operations) at HAL, where he led strategic planning and played a key role in securing HAL’s Maharatna status.

“My vision is to transform HAL into a globally competitive aerospace and defence enterprise, driven by innovation, Artificial Intelligence (AI), operational excellence, and people,” he said.

He has held key leadership roles, including executive director and general manager of the LCA Tejas Division, as well as executive director (corporate planning). During his tenure, he concluded various big-ticket contracts for HAL, such as the contract to supply 180 LCA Tejas to the Indian Air Force, 156 LCH Prachand to the Indian Army and Indian Air Force and is credited with the operationalisation of the LCA Tejas fleet in IAF. He boosted fleet serviceability through various customer-centric initiatives, established seamless data communication with IAF bases and created a Single Point of Contact (SPOC) for timely customer support.

He has been a driving force in strengthening indigenous capabilities within the LCA Tejas programme by increasing local content and expanding production capacity in Nasik. He also played a pivotal role in developing a robust manufacturing ecosystem by outsourcing major fuselage assemblies to private sector partners, a strategy that is now delivering tangible results through ongoing deliveries.

His initiatives have diversified HAL into civil manufacturing and maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO), creating new revenue streams and expanding HAL’s market presence.

A mechanical engineering graduate from Malnad College of Engineering, Karnataka, Ravi K is an alumnus of IIM Ahmedabad and IAS, Toulouse, France. He is also a nominee director on the board of Multi-Role Transport Aircraft Ltd.