During the late 2000s, Indian aerospace manufacturer Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), which was interested in expanding their rotorcraft offering beyond that of the existing HAL Dhruv programme, began to explore the potential for the production of a conceptual 10-tonne class helicopter; this concept came to be known as the Medium Lift Helicopter (MLH). If produced, the 10-tonne MLH shall hold the distinction of being the largest rotary-wing aircraft to have ever been produced by India. Early on, it was recognised that the type would be primarily marketed towards military customers, especially the Indian armed forces, and that the tentative programme would greatly benefit from the involvement of a foreign manufacturer in a partnership arrangement.
