Centre Places Rs 36,468 Crore Worth Order for 83 Tejas Aircraft as PM Visits HAL, Takes Sortie in Fighter Jet

The central government has placed an order of Rs 36,468 crore for 83 LCA Mk 1A Tejas aircraft with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited. Their delivery is scheduled to begin by February 2024, official sources said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the HAL facility in Bengaluru on Saturday and took a sortie in the fighter jet in full gear. Sources said the government under his leadership has taken giant steps for increasing India’s defence preparedness and indigenisation, including the Tejas fighter aircraft.

The first version of the aircraft was inducted into the Indian Air Force in 2016. At present, two squadrons are fully operational with LCA Tejas, sources said.

Sources further said more than Rs 9,000 crore has been sanctioned for the development of LCA Mk 2, an updated and more lethal version of LCA Tejas.

To further promote indigenisation, including of the aircraft engine, the transfer of technology for manufacturing of the GE engine in India was negotiated with the US firm during the prime minister’s visit to the country in June, sources added.

Prime Minister Modi, meanwhile, said his experience on the Tejas aircraft has bolstered his confidence in the country’s indigenous capabilities. Taking to social media platform X, he said, “Successfully completed a sortie on the Tejas. The experience was incredibly enriching, significantly bolstering my confidence in our country’s indigenous capabilities, and leaving me with a renewed sense of pride and optimism about our national potential.”

He added: “Flying in Tejas today, I can say with immense pride that due to our hard work and dedication, we are no less than anyone in the world in the field of self-reliance. Heartiest congratulations to the Indian Air Force, DRDO and HAL as well as all Indians.”

Officials said the PM visited Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) to review the ongoing work at its manufacturing facilities. He has been pushing for indigenous production of defence products and highlighting how his government has boosted their manufacturing in India and also their exports.

Several countries have evinced interest in buying Tejas, a light combat aircraft. Defence minister Rajnath Singh noted in April that India’s defence exports have reached an all-time high of Rs 15,920 crore in 2022-2023. He called it a remarkable achievement for the country.

(With PTI inputs)