Syed Ahmed Ali
On 7 February 2026, an Indian Tejas Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) suffered a technical accident due to a suspected brake failure.
This marks the third loss of a Tejas fighter jet since its inception: the first was in March 2024 in Jaisalmer, and the second in the recent Dubai Air Show in 2025. Following these accidents, the Indian Air Force (IAF) grounded the entire fleet of 30 Tejas and ordered a technical inquiry. This development has raised serious questions about the reliability of the indigenous fighter program, highlighting significant hurdles in the Indian aviation industry.
The IAF faced a unique challenge in its history, as it had to expand its fighter squadron to 42 while modernising its inventory by replacing legacy fighters such as the MiG-21, MiG-27, and Jaguar’s. In this case, the IAF had two possible pathways: the first was foreign procurement, which could give a qualitative advantage. Recently, the Indian defence minister announced the allocation of USD 29 billion to purchase 114 Rafale jets. The second path was indigenisation, characterised by Prime Minister Modi’s ‘Make in India’ initiative. India’s Tejas program began in 1983 and is manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). This indigenous fighter program was planned to become a key part of IAF, with plans to procure 180 Tejas MK 1A. However, in light of the recent setbacks, critics have argued whether foreign fighters like Rafale could replace Tejas as the future of the IAF.
The Tejas project has been a victim of overambitious goals, inefficient production, and a multitude of conflicting design ideas, which created unnecessary complications. To begin with, India’s decision to develop an indigenous Kaveri aircraft engine, while ambitious, was ultimately ill-advised, as the design could only manage limited thrust. As a result, the IAF became dependent on General Electric (GE) and faced delays in the delivery of GE F404 engines, slowing down production. Additionally, Tejas faced weapons integration issues, including significant hurdles in synchronising its Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar, Electronic Warfare (EW) suites, and air-to-air missiles. In practice HAL had incorporated foreign technology, such as Israeli ELTA’s radar and intelligence systems, which reduced the percentage of indigenous technology. This also created issues with the design’s synergy, as technologies have communication problems. HAL also proposed a naval variant of Tejas fighter which took its first successful flight in January, 2020. The aircraft was, however, rejected by the Indian Navy citing concerns with thrust-to-weight ratio and payload capacity issue.
Apart from its design, the Tejas program has also suffered from serious issues in the aviation industry. HAL’s incorporation of foreign technology and reliance on foreign engines has created production bottlenecks, causing significant delays in the delivery of the aircraft. The severity of the situation was clearly revealed in the IAF statement from 2025, where he remarked that IAF had not received the initial 40 Tejas ordered in 2010. Apart from production delays, HAL also suffers from significant quality control issues, where reports claim there are problems with panel misalignments, fluid leakage, and premature wear on seals. Collectively, these issues have led critics to argue that the role of the private sector could help foster competition, thereby improving production and quality control. Companies like Reliance Defence, TATA Advanced Systems, and Larsen & Toubro are all viable candidates to replace HAL.
The debate over Indigenous aircraft vs. foreign aircraft rests on the IAF’s priorities. The French fourth-generation plus Rafale could indeed provide India with a qualitative advantage, but it would do so at a higher cost and a loss of strategic autonomy. On the other hand, an indigenous aircraft might have reduced capabilities in exchange for independence from foreign industrial and technological control. Perhaps the greatest hurdle the indigenous fighter faces is the ‘dilemma of choice’. India, with a large defence expenditure, has many options to choose from; this often puts the Tejas at a disadvantage, where procurement mostly favours readymade solutions rather than tedious and time-consuming indigenous solutions. To safeguard the Tejas program, the IAF needs to ensure robust quality control and timely production of aircraft, which could help offset the advantages of imported aircraft.
The Grounding of Tejas comes at a time when China has unveiled its sixth- generation fighter, and JF-17 sales have risen in the global arms market. The IAF needs to chart its course quickly, whether it is fostering competition through private companies to revive the production of indigenous aircraft or increasing the procurement of foreign aircraft, as the delay on this issue could have strategic implications.
Syed Ahmed Ali is a Research Assistant at the Centre for Aerospace & Security Studies (CASS), in Islamabad, Pakistan. He can be reached at [email protected]
