New Delhi: Air Chief Marshal Amarpreet Singh on Thursday raised concerns over the failure of government defence manufacturing companies to meet delivery deadlines.
Speaking at the CII Summit 2025 in New Delhi, the Chief of Air Staff said, “Timeline is a big issue. So, once a timeline is given, not a single project that I can think of has been completed on time. So this is something we have to look at. Why should we promise something which cannot be achieved? While signing the contract itself, sometimes we are sure that it is not going to come up, but we just sign the contract.”
“Why should we promise something which cannot be achieved?” he added.
This is not the first time Air Chief Marshal Singh has flagged the issue. Earlier in February this year, during Aero India 2025, the Chief of Air Staff pulled up Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) officials over the delay in the delivery of the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas Mk 1A.
“I can only tell you our requirements and what our worries are. You have to alleviate those worries and make us more confident. At the moment, I am just not confident of HAL, which is a very wrong thing to happen,” Air Chief Marshal Singh had told the HAL officials.
Here is the Timeline of HAL Tejas:
1983
• LCA project initiated by the Indian government to replace the aging MiG-21 fleet.
1984
• ADA (Aeronautical Development Agency) established to manage the LCA program.
1986
• Government sanctions ₹575 crore for Full-Scale Engineering Development (FSED) Phase I.
1989
• HAL assigned the task of aircraft fabrication.
1990
• The LCA is officially named “Tejas”, meaning “Radiance” in Sanskrit.
1995
• The first technology demonstrator (TD-1) is rolled out.
January 4, 2001
• First flight of Technology Demonstrator (TD-1): a successful 18-minute flight in Bengaluru marks a major milestone.
2004
• Prototype Vehicle (PV-1) takes flight with upgraded features.
2007
• PV-3 achieves supersonic flight.
2011
• Initial Operational Clearance (IOC): Tejas is declared fit for limited operational use by the Indian Air Force (IAF).
2013
• First Tejas squadron (No. 45 Squadron “Flying Daggers”) planned for the IAF.
January 2015
• First series production aircraft handed over to the IAF.
July 1, 2016
• No. 45 Squadron “Flying Daggers” formally inducted with two Tejas jets at the IAF base in Bengaluru.
December 20, 2019
• Naval variant of Tejas successfully lands on INS Vikramaditya — a major achievement for carrier operations.
January 2021
• Indian government approves ₹48,000 crore deal for 83 Tejas Mk1A jets (73 Mk1A fighters + 10 trainers).
• This is the largest-ever indigenous military aviation deal in India.
March 2023
• HAL begins manufacturing the Tejas Mk1A, featuring AESA radar, electronic warfare suite, mid-air refueling capability, and reduced weight.
2024–2025 (expected)
• Delivery of the first Tejas Mk1A jets to the IAF.
Tejas Mk2 and AMCA
• Tejas Mk2 (Medium Weight Fighter) and the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) are under development as successors to the Tejas Mk1A.
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