India will seek Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certification for the Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) Dhruv helicopter.
The plan was announced by civil aviation minister Ajit Singh at a conference in Bengaluru, where HAL is headquartered.
The Dhruv, or advanced light helicopter (ALH), is a twin-engined, 5.5t helicopter designed for both military and civilian operations.
At February's Aero India show, HAL introduced a weaponised variant of the type called the Rudra, which is armed with a 20mm cannon in a chin turret.
Source: Flight International