India’s Ministry of Defence (MoD) realised in the 1980s that its Soviet-era fighters, notably the MiG-21s, were nearing retirement, prompting the launch of the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) programme in 1983. Officially named Tejas in 2003, meaning brilliance in Sanskrit, the fighter has struggled to live up to its name, plagued by failures, setbacks and recurring issues that repeatedly pushed back deadlines. Despite its first flight in 2001 and induction into the IAF in 2016, the programme continues to face engine, structural, weight and payload problems, causing major delays in fighter deliveries.

Accordingly, a deal worth USD 5 billion was signed between the MoD and HAL for 83 Tejas Mk-1 aircraft in 2021, followed by a USD 6 billion deal in 2025 for 97 more aircraft. Although delivery of the first batch was initially scheduled for March 2024, it remains almost two years behind schedule, with not a single aircraft delivered to date. Analysts view that full-fleet induction could extend beyond 2029. Recently, reports suggest that deliveries of the Tejas Mk-1 are now likely only by mid-2026 or even later, with five structurally completed aircraft at HAL reportedly not deemed fit for induction into the IAF due to pending........

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