Due to its favourable high altitude performance, the Lama quickly became popular with operators worldwide, often being deployed within mountainous environments.

[1] As with the Alouette series, the type can be fitted for various roles, such as light passenger transport, agricultural tasks, oil-and-gas exploration, aerial firefighting, and other specialised duties.

[3] A large proportion of all SA 315B Lamas to be manufactured were produced under licence in India by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), under the name Cheetah.

In practice, the type found considerable use within regions that possessed extensive mountain ranges, such as South America and India, being capable of lifting loads and deploying personnel in areas that had been previously impossible to have otherwise achieved.

The Indian order included an arrangement for the indefinite licence production of the SA 315B to be conducted by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) at their facility in Bangalore, India.

Sales have included a quantity of an armed variant, marketed as the HAL Lancer; one batch was reportedly delivered to Nepal between June 2003 and September 2004.

According to Vertical Magazine, popular qualities of the Lama included its capable engine, favourable stability while hovering, and its ability to effectively convey payloads at altitude even during peak temperatures.

[1] In 2009, due to issues with the newly introduced HAL Dhruv helicopter, the Indian Army increased operational usage of their older Cheetah/Cheetal rotorcraft to meet the temporary shortfall.

[18] In September 2012, it was reported that an ever-decreasing amount of spare parts compatible with the Cheetah has led to the type's operators being required to cannibalise helicopters in order to provide components for others.

114 Helicopter Unit were keen to introduce the upgraded Cheetal as a replacement for its existing Cheetah rotorcraft for continuous deployment on the Siachen Glacier.