Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has come under increasing scrutiny for its continued inability to deliver the Tejas Mk1A fighter aircraft to the Indian Air Force (IAF) on schedule. The programme is already running more than two years behind, with further slippages likely as the aerospace major grapples with the complex task of integrating an advanced radar system with the aircraft’s electronic warfare suite and mission computers. The delays have, in turn, pushed back missile-firing trials and full weapons-package validation—critical milestones that cannot be compromised.
The Tejas programme traces its origins to 1983, when the Centre authorised the Defence Research and Development Organisation to develop an indigenous fighter aircraft to eventually replace the ageing MiG-21 fleet. More than four decades later, the IAF has inducted only 40 Tejas Mk1 aircraft, including trainer variants. They currently equip No 45 Squadron, the Flying Daggers, at Sulur in Tamil Nadu, and No 18 Squadron, the Flying Bullets, at Naliya in Gujarat.
The stakes are considerably higher now. HAL is tasked with delivering 180 Tejas Mk1A fighters—83 under the initial contract signed in 2021 and another 97 ordered in 2025. The aircraft forms a crucial pillar of the IAF’s long-term force structure plans. The service aims to raise its squadron strength from the present 29 to the sanctioned 42, with a projected Tejas fleet of 324 aircraft. Beyond the Mk1A, the IAF is also counting on the timely development and induction of the more capable Tejas Mk2.
The IAF’s impatience is understandable. Delays in induction affect operational preparedness at a time when both China and Pakistan are steadily modernising their air arms with platforms such as the JF-17 Thunder and the J-10C. Prolonged slippages also carry the risk of technological obsolescence, as aerospace technologies evolve rapidly and competing platforms continue to advance.
Yet, while accountability is necessary, financial penalties alone are unlikely to solve the problem. HAL remains a government-owned enterprise executing a strategically vital national programme. The larger question is whether the delays stem merely from managerial shortcomings or from systemic challenges involving technology development, supply chains, certification processes and coordination among stakeholders.
Given the strategic importance of the Tejas programme, the defence ministry must focus on resolving the bottlenecks. India’s indigenous fighter programme is too important to be viewed solely through the prism of contractual penalties. The priority should be to ensure that HAL receives the institutional, technological and administrative support necessary to accelerate deliveries and meet the IAF’s operational requirements. The objective must be to get Tejas into service at the earliest—not merely to punish those responsible for the delay.