June 25 — In a significant development for India’s indigenous defence manufacturing sector, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) Chairman and Managing Director C.B. Ananthakrishnan has confirmed that six Tejas Mk1A fighter jets will be delivered to the Indian Air Force (IAF) by March 2026.
Speaking at an industry event, Ananthakrishnan stated that the production of the Tejas Mk1A aircraft is progressing as per schedule. The delivery will mark the beginning of the execution of the ₹48,000 crore contract signed in February 2021 between HAL and the Ministry of Defence for 83 Tejas Mk1A fighter aircraft.
“We are on track to deliver the first six Tejas jets to the IAF by March 2026. Deliveries will gradually ramp up from there,” said the HAL chief. The remaining aircraft are expected to be delivered over a period of six to seven years.
The Tejas Mk1A is an upgraded version of the Tejas Mk1 and includes advanced features such as an Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar, electronic warfare (EW) suite, and enhanced avionics. These improvements are aimed at significantly boosting the operational capability of the Indian Air Force.
The indigenous Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas program, jointly developed by the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) and HAL, is a key pillar of India’s “Atmanirbhar Bharat” initiative in the defence sector. It is expected to reduce dependency on foreign fighter jets and enhance self-reliance in defence manufacturing.
Officials have also indicated that the timely delivery of Tejas jets could strengthen HAL’s prospects in the global defence export market. Countries such as Argentina, Egypt, and the Philippines have reportedly shown interest in procuring the LCA Tejas.
The IAF currently operates two squadrons of the Tejas Mk1 variant and plans to induct more units in the coming years. The Mk1A variant will further augment India’s air combat capabilities and contribute to fleet modernization.
With this delivery timeline confirmed, HAL aims to not only meet domestic defence needs but also position the Tejas as a competitive option in the international fighter jet market.
