Nashik: India’s first Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas Mk1A successfully completed its maiden test flight in Nashik on Friday, marking a significant milestone in the country’s indigenous defence manufacturing programme. The event took place in the presence of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, who also inaugurated key new production facilities of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).
The test flight, conducted from HAL’s newly commissioned third production line, showcased the enhanced capabilities of the Tejas Mk1A, an advanced variant of India’s homegrown fighter jet. After the flight, the aircraft was accorded a ceremonial water cannon salute to celebrate the achievement.
During his visit, the Defence Minister also inaugurated two major production lines — the third assembly line for the LCA Tejas Mk1A and the second line for the Hindustan Turbo Trainer-40 (HTT-40), a basic trainer aircraft designed and developed by HAL for the Indian Air Force (IAF). These new facilities are expected to significantly boost India’s domestic aircraft manufacturing capacity and ensure timely delivery to the armed forces.
HAL had established the third production line to accelerate the delivery of Tejas aircraft to the IAF, in line with the government’s focus on strengthening self-reliance in defence production under the ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ initiative.
In August, the central government approved the procurement of 97 Tejas Mk1A fighter jets for the IAF at an estimated cost of Rs 62,000 crore. This large-scale order, one of the biggest in India’s defence aviation history, aims to modernise the air fleet while reducing dependence on foreign-made aircraft.
The successful test flight of the Tejas Mk1A underscores India’s growing expertise in indigenous aircraft design and manufacturing and marks another step forward in building a self-reliant and advanced defence ecosystem.
