Bengaluru: Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) is set to deliver the final two Tejas Mk-1 twin-seat trainers to the Indian Air Force this month, bringing the original 40-aircraft order to completion nearly a decade after its December 2016 deadline. The milestone comes even as the IAF continues to await its first Tejas Mk-1A under the subsequent 83-aircraft contract.
The original order comprises 16 IOC-standard fighters, 16 FOC-standard fighters and eight twin-seat trainers. The final two trainers will be delivered in the FOC configuration, formally closing the Mk-1 programme's initial production order.
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The FOC contract, signed in December 2010 and initially valued at ₹5,989 crore, envisaged completion by December 2016. Its value was subsequently revised to ₹6,542 crore in March 2025 following changes to the delivery schedule. HAL delivered the first twin-seat trainer only in October 2023, after which the remaining trainer deliveries also slipped.
The bigger concern now is the Tejas Mk-1A programme. The IAF signed a ₹46,898-crore contract in February 2021 for 83 aircraft—73 fighters and 10 trainers—with deliveries originally scheduled to begin in March 2024. No Mk-1A has yet been delivered to the IAF.
The Mk-1A represents a significant upgrade over the original Tejas, incorporating an AESA radar, improved electronic warfare and avionics systems, and enhanced weapons-integration capabilities. Its delayed induction therefore directly affects the IAF's plans to expand its indigenous fighter fleet with a more capable platform.
The programme has faced difficulties including delays in the supply of GE Aerospace F404-IN20 engines. HAL has indicated that it is pursuing contractual penalties over the engine delays. Integration of the Israeli AESA radar with the aircraft's electronic-warfare architecture has also been among the technical challenges affecting the programme.
HAL and the IAF are expected to hold a programme review this month, with the focus likely to be on resolving remaining bottlenecks and establishing a reliable delivery schedule.
The delays assume greater significance because the IAF continues to operate with a fighter-squadron strength well below its sanctioned requirement of 42.5 squadrons. With older aircraft being progressively retired, timely induction of new fighters has become critical to preventing further erosion of combat strength.
At the same time, New Delhi has continued to place confidence in the Tejas production ecosystem. In September 2025, the Defence Ministry signed a ₹62,370-crore contract with HAL for another 97 Tejas Mk-1A aircraft, comprising 68 fighters and 29 twin-seat trainers. Deliveries under this order are scheduled to begin in September 2027 and run through September 2033.
This creates a crucial test for India's indigenous fighter programme. The challenge is no longer simply designing and certifying the Tejas—it is building a dependable production system capable of delivering aircraft at the pace required by the IAF.
The Tejas programme remains strategically important for India's defence-industrial ambitions, providing the foundation for a broader indigenous combat-aircraft ecosystem. But the gap between contractual timelines and actual deliveries highlights the need to strengthen engine availability, supply chains, systems integration and production capacity.
For HAL and the wider Indian aerospace industry, the completion of the original Mk-1 order is therefore both a milestone and a warning: India has demonstrated that it can develop and manufacture a modern indigenous fighter, but sustaining timely, large-scale production will determine whether Tejas can genuinely become the backbone of the IAF's future fighter fleet.
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