The Ministry of Defence on Thursday signed a Rs 62,370 crore contract with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for 97 Tejas Mk-1A fighter aircraft, marking the biggest procurement under the indigenous light combat aircraft programme. The deal, announced by the MoD in an official statement will provide the Indian Air Force (IAF) with 68 single-seat fighters and 29 twin-seater trainers.

Approval and procurement process

The procurement was approved by the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on August 19, 2025. It followed earlier clearances by the Defence Acquisition Council in November 2023 and the issue of a Request for Proposal in April 2024.

This is the second big order placed with HAL for the Tejas Mk-1A, following the 2021 contract for 83 jets.

See Full Page