Inside the high-tech Tejas fighter jet assembly hangar of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), rows of India's indigenous Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) stand ready - airframes complete, avionics tested, and missiles primed. Yet, despite HAL's readiness, the jets remain grounded. The culprit? A delay in engine supplies from the United States.
In an exclusive interview with NDTV, Dr DK Sunil, Chairman and Managing Director of HAL, offered a candid explanation. "What you see behind you is the third engine that has arrived just a couple of days ago from General Electric," he said, gesturing to the freshly delivered GE 404 engine. "We will be fitting it onto the aircraft, and we are ready to deliver. Today, I think all the aircraft are built. The shortfall is on the engine, as you know, and General Electric has told us that they will speed up the process".
HAL has committed to delivering 12 Tejas jets to the Indian Air Force this fiscal year. But with engine shipments trickling in, the target may be revised. "At worst, I say that we will be able to deliver 10 based on the kind of engine supply that is there," Dr Sunil added. "We also had some issues with the software and missile firing, but that will be completed shortly this month".
The Tejas program, a symbol of India's aerospace ambition, has faced turbulence. A recent crash during field exercises at Pokhran in Rajasthan raised concerns. Dr Sunil clarified, "It was a maintenance issue, not a design flaw. General Electric has given us special checks to be done because that is a difficult area to access. Otherwise, the safety record has been excellent".
The delay has reignited calls for an indigenous jet engine. What one needs is an 'atmanirbhar' jet engine; HAL has done its part. The bottleneck lies across the ocean.
This isn't the first time HAL has faced scrutiny. Earlier this year, the Indian Air Force chief Amar Preet Singh publicly criticised HAL's delivery timelines, urging faster execution and better coordination. While HAL has made strides in production efficiency, the reliance on foreign suppliers continues to be a strategic vulnerability.
With the Tejas jets lined up and HAL's engineers standing by, the message is clear: India's fighter jets are ready to soar - if only their engines arrive on time.
