Friday, June 24 2005 17:14 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Bangalore: India's State-run aircraft maker Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) today (Jun 24, 2005) said it bagged its biggest civilian order from Oil and Natural Gas Corporation for three homegrown Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) for a value of Rs 100 crore.

HAL will deliver the civil variant of the 13 seater ALH, christened Dhruv, to ONGC for ferrying staff and machinery to oilrigs of the oil exploration company, a statement from the Bangalore-based HAL said in Bangalore.

Dhruv's capabilities were proven over the Bombay High a few months ago after ONGC expressed desire to buy the helicopter, designed and built by the public sector HAL.

HAL said it has already bagged an order to supply two ALH's to the Jharkhand Government, besides leasing one Dhruv to the Karnataka Government for ferrying VIPs.

HAL has already entered into an agreement with Israel to lease one ALH for ferrying VIPs in the West Asian nation, while it is holding talks to sell Dhruvs to the Chilean armed forces.

India's armed forces have already deployed over a dozen Dhruv in their operations, officials said.