By September 2000, HAL had contracted with Turbomeca to develop a more powerful version of the ALH's TM 3332B2, from 747 to 800 kW (1,002 to 1,073 hp).

[3] By January 2002, Turbomeca had begun developing the 1,200 hp (890 kW) Ardiden TM3332C2 for 5–6 t (11,000–13,000 lb) helicopters, launched at the Paris Air Show for the LAH as the Shakti, co-developed and assembled by HAL, as the US lifted India's 1998 nuclear tests sanctions.

[4] By July 2002, Turbomeca was ready to launch the 900 kW (1,200 hp) engine development with HAL for 11% for the ALH, then renamed Dhruv.

The design include the single-crystal HP turbine blades and new ceramic coatings to run without cooling, for 20% of growth potential.

[8] By April 2019, Safran was considering a turboprop version of the Ardiden to compete with the Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6 and General Electric Catalyst, based on its Tech-TP demonstrator, part of the EU's Clean Sky 2 programme, for first ground runs in the coming months.

The Tech TP compact, lightweight architecture targets a 15% lower fuel consumption over current engines.

[2] The Ardiden has a two-stage centrifugal compressor, then a reverse flow annular combustor, a single stage axial gas generator turbine followed by a two-stage axial free turbine outputting its power to the front by a concentric shaft, and is controlled by a dual-channel digital engine electronic control unit.