Centre Approves ₹62,000-Crore Deal For 97 Tejas Mark-1A Fighter Jets, Boosting ‘Make In India’
New Delhi — In a major push for indigenous defence manufacturing, the Indian government has cleared the acquisition of 97 Tejas Mark-1A fighter jets for the Indian Air Force at a cost of about ₹62,000 crore.
The approval was granted during a high-level meeting on Tuesday and will pave the way for Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) to begin production of the aircraft, defence sources told ANI.
This is the second major order for the LCA Tejas Mark-1A. The government had earlier placed an order for 83 jets in 2021, worth around ₹48,000 crore.
The latest order will significantly accelerate the IAF’s ongoing efforts to replace its ageing MiG-21 fleet, which is scheduled to be phased out in the coming weeks.
Officials said the project is a significant milestone for the ‘Make in India’ and Atmanirbhar Bharat initiatives, and will generate major business opportunities for numerous small and medium enterprises across the country involved in the defence sector.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been a strong advocate of reviving HAL and bolstering India’s domestic aerospace capabilities. In a symbolic gesture, he even took a sortie in the trainer version of the Tejas — the first Indian Prime Minister ever to fly in a combat aircraft.
The plan to procure 97 additional jets was first revealed by former IAF chief, Air Chief Marshal V.R. Chaudhari, during his visit to Spain last year.
The new Mark-1A variant comes with upgraded avionics, radar systems and higher indigenous content — over 65% compared to earlier versions.
The Tejas programme has become a flagship of India’s self-reliance in the aerospace sector, with HAL also set to pursue orders for over 200 LCA Mark-2 jets, in addition to future contracts for Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA).
News Source : Information for this article was gathered from a variety of reliable news outlets.
