I ndia’s aerospace sector confronts a grim reality, with scant light on the horizon. Two flagship projects designed and substantially ‘ made in India ’— the Tejas fighter and the Dhruv helicopter — are both under a cloud following fatal accidents that are under investigation.

Tejas deliveries to the Indian Air Force (IAF) lag severely, hampered by delays in the US – sourced F-404/414 engines. Meanwhile, the maritime version of Dhruv has been grounded for 11 months amid probes into a potential design flaw.

The industry has ambitious plans for two fifth-generation successors to the Tejas : the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft and the Twin-Engine Deck-Based Fighter. Yet , both projects remain at the blueprint stage with no prototypes built, possibly sta

See Full Page