New Delhi: The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has established a delivery schedule for the Indian Air Force’s (IAF) second batch of 97 indigenous Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas Mk1A fighter jets, with inductions planned between September 2027 and September 2033. The timeline comes as Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) continues to face delays in delivering aircraft from an earlier 83-jet order signed in 2021.
The latest procurement, valued at ₹62,370 crore, was formally contracted with HAL in September 2025. It takes the total number of Tejas Mk1A aircraft ordered by the IAF to 180.
According to the details outlined in the Ministry of Defence’s latest annual report, the 97-aircraft tranche includes 68 single-seat fighters and 29 twin-seat trainer variants. The order is part of India’s broader effort to strengthen indigenous fighter aircraft production and reduce dependence on foreign defence suppliers.
The aircraft will feature more than 64 per cent indigenous content and incorporate 67 advanced domestic technologies compared with the earlier 2021 contract. These include the UTTAM Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar, the Swayam Raksha Kavach electronic warfare suite and indigenous control surface actuators.
Earlier 83-Jet Order Faces Production Delays
The delivery schedule for the second batch has raised questions over the progress of the first 83-aircraft contract, which was signed in February 2021 at a cost of ₹48,000 crore.
HAL was originally expected to begin delivering the first aircraft from that order in March 2024. However, the deadline was missed amid disruptions in the supply of GE F404-IN20 engines from US-based General Electric.
Additional delays involving software validation and radar trials further affected the production programme. The completion timeline for the entire 83-aircraft order has reportedly been pushed to 2031.
HAL Chairman Ravi Kota said during the company’s Q4 FY26 earnings call that initial deliveries of the first batch were projected to begin between August and September 2026, subject to stabilisation of the GE engine supply chain.
IAF Fighter Fleet Under Pressure
The delays come at a time when the Indian Air Force is dealing with a significant shortage of combat aircraft. The IAF reportedly operates 29 fighter squadrons against an authorised strength of 42.5 squadrons.
The retirement of the last two MiG-21 Bison squadrons in September 2025 further reduced the number of legacy fighter units available to the force.
The Tejas Mk1A programme is a key component of the Ministry of Defence’s efforts to modernise the IAF’s fighter fleet and expand domestic aerospace manufacturing. The successful execution of both procurement tranches will depend on HAL’s ability to overcome engine supply constraints, maintain production schedules and complete the aircraft’s testing and validation requirements.
While the September 2027–September 2033 timeline provides a projected induction window for the second batch, the experience of the first 83-aircraft order highlights the challenges involved in translating procurement commitments into timely operational deliveries.
