New Delhi: Deputy Chief of the Air Staff Air Marshal Awadhesh Kumar Bharti on Tuesday underlined the urgent need for India’s defence industry to accelerate innovation and indigenisation, warning that delays in moving from “conceptualisation to operationalisation” could undermine national security.
Speaking at Aero Tech India 2025, organised by FICCI in partnership with CAPSS, Air Marshal Bharti said the Indian Air Force (IAF) is working towards self-reliance but stressed that true independence will only come when critical components are produced within the country.
“Even 99% indigenous content is not enough if that 1% is critical and still imported. If supplies of those components are choked, we won’t be able to ramp up production when needed,” he cautioned. “We need to put our innovation on afterburner. This cruise setting will not do.”
Highlighting the IAF’s roadmap, Bharti said India is targeting indigenous engine production within 10–12 years. “If industry and defence put their efforts together, it can be achieved. In times of crisis, you cannot bank on others. Indigenisation is a prerequisite for self-reliance,” he told reporters on the sidelines of the event.
Currently, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) is working with General Electric (GE) to supply GE-404 engines for the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Mk-1, with 12 engines expected by the end of FY2025.
The Air Marshal welcomed the Ministry of Defence’s recent ₹62,370 crore contract with HAL to procure 97 LCA Mk-1A aircraft including 68 fighters and 29 trainers. Deliveries are expected between 2027 and 2033, with the jets featuring over 64% indigenous content and 67 new components compared to the earlier 2021 order.
“We have just signed for 97 more LCAs. We are looking at LCA Mk-2 and investing in the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) programme. These will form the backbone of future air defence. But until then, we must fill immediate gaps,” Bharti said.
In parallel, Larsen & Toubro (L&T) and Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) have joined hands to support the AMCA programme, seen as a critical step in India’s advanced fighter development.
