NEW DELHI/BENGALURU: India on Friday inked an over $1 billion (Rs 8,900 crore) deal with US major General Electric (GE) for another 113 jet engines to power the much-delayed indigenous Tejas Mark-1A fighters. This may to some extent assuage the Donald Trump administration amid tariff tensions. The delivery of the 113 new GE-F404 engines to defence PSU Hindustan Aeronautics will take place in the 2027-2032 timeframe, adding to the delayed supply of 99 engines ordered under a Rs 5,375 crore deal in Aug 2021. With the deal being inked in Bengaluru, HAL chief D K Sunil told TOI, "We have 11 Tejas aircraft ready, including four fitted with new GE engines. We are moving towards certification, and the aim is to deliver the first 10 jets to IAF by the end of March next year." Tejas Mark-1A

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