Government Approves Major Deal for Tejas MK1A Fighter Jets

In a major leg-up for the domestic defence manufacturing ecosystem in the country, and the 'Make in India' program of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the government on Tuesday approved a deal worth about Rs 62,000 crore to procure 97 Tejas MK1A fighter jets for the Indian Air Force (IAF).

India's domestically produced Tejas Mk-1A single-engine multirole fighter aircraft is built to perform air defense, maritime reconnaissance, and strike missions in high-threat air environments. This decision represents an important movement towards modernizing the IAF’s fleet and enhancing the country's defence self-reliance. This acquisition constitutes the second significant order for the Tejas MK1A, following an earlier February 2021 order for 83 jets approximately worth Rs. 48,000 crore. With this latest order, the IAF will have 180 Tejas MK1A fighters ordered overall, securing the use of domestic aircraft in the country's air defense policy. The IAF's outdated fleet of MiG-21s, which are currently being phased out, is supposed to be replaced with the new aircraft. It is anticipated that deliveries of the 97 planes will start in 2028 and be finished by 2031.

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As per government sources, the Tejas MK1A jets are more than 65 per cent indigenous content, consistent with the government's "Make in India" and "Atmanirbhar Bharat" (Self-Reliant India) policies to lessen reliance on foreign sources and develop a strong domestic defence ecosystem.