WATCH: HAL’s Nashik-built TEJAS MK-1A jet completes its maiden flighOn October 18, 2025, the first TEJAS MK-1A fighter jet developed by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited’s (HAL) Nashik division performed its maiden test flight.
The indigenous aircraft soared to the sky in the presence of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and landed with a water cannon salute, marking a significant milestone for India’s aerospace industry and the ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ mission.
tHAL’s Aircraft Manufacturing Division in Nashik inaugurated two manufacturing lines: the third for the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) TEJAS MK-1A and the second for the Hindustan Turbo Trainer-40 (HTT-40) basic trainer.
The Defence Minister also saw outstanding aerial demonstrations from the TEJAS MK-1A, HTT-40, and Su-30MKI fighter jets, which demonstrated the scope of India’s domestic air power capabilities.
HAL’s new TEJAS MK-1A production line was built in a record two years and can produce up to eight aircraft per year, bringing the overall Tejas production capacity at HAL to 24 aircraft per year.
The new HTT-40 line also boosts the production of fuselage and wing structures for India’s training fleet. These expansions are planned to generate over 1,000 employment and involve over 40 private sector industry partners in the Nashik region, strengthening India’s private-public military collaboration model. \The TEJAS MK-1A is a considerable enhancement to the Mk1, containing indigenous Uttam AESA radar, Swayam Raksha Kavach electronic warfare suite, advanced actuators, and software-based mission upgrades. DK Sunil, HAL’s CMD, stated that the aircraft has attained structural readiness, with just armament and radar system fine-tuning remaining before induction into the Indian Air Force. Ongoing trials are going well, and the first deliveries could arrive soon after.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh emphasized that the achievement indicates India’s shift from importer to manufacturer of essential defense technology. He emphasized that local defense output has increased since 2014, with exports reaching ₹25,000 crore. The minister stated that the TEJAS project demonstrates India’s increasing technical maturity in fighter aircraft design, manufacture, and integration, which is comparable to international norms.
