The first eight TEJAS MK-1A fighters will be delivered by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) in the next 24 to 36 months, initiating a systematic production cycle that will progressively pick up speed in the years to come.
This move comes after General Electric (GE) and India signed a substantial engine supply agreement on November 7, 2025. This arrangement is a key component of India’s largest domestic fighter aircraft program.
113 F404-GE-IN20 engines will power 97 aircraft as part of the ₹62,370 crore procurement that was approved earlier this year. The extra engines provide lifetime replacements and maintenance assistance, guaranteeing the MK-1A fleet’s long-term operating readiness.
Senior government officials claim that concerns with contract alignment and cost inflation caused the agreement’s finalization to be delayed, which led to a slower initial manufacturing speed as HAL stabilized its production line.
Before increasing output, HAL will be able to test, improve, and optimize its assembly sequence with the initial batch of eight aircraft, which will be distributed during months 24 to 36 after the contract.
The aerospace production ecosystem, which includes more than 500 domestic suppliers and technological partners, will reach complete synchronization thanks to this measured start. Before moving into high-volume manufacturing, the first few years will be devoted to harmonizing supply chain inputs, integrating modern avionics systems, and testing production tooling.
Internal sequencing charts indicate that starting in the fourth year, HAL’s manufacturing speed will rise dramatically. Following months 37, 49, and 61, three successive tranches of 24 aircraft each are slated to launch, signifying the MK-1A program’s primary delivery phase.
The negotiated order will be completed by late 2031 or early 2032, approximately seven years after the procurement was signed, with the last batch of 12 fighters scheduled for delivery between months 73 and 84.
According to officials with knowledge of the situation, HAL’s Bangalore and Nasik divisions would deliver the aircraft in almost constant succession once the production line reaches steady-state operations. With the help of digital manufacturing technologies, parallel assembly lines, and improved coordination amongst component suppliers, HAL is moving from prototype-based output to serial-scale production, which is reflected in the streamlined deployment.
This consistent manufacturing rhythm is anticipated to be supported by the infrastructure expansion completed over the previous two years, including new lines for avionics integration and composite airframe construction.
The TEJAS MK-1 fleet currently operates the F404-GE-IN20 engine, a proven afterburning turbofan. The agreement includes provisions for spare units and mid-life replacements, and GE and HAL will undertake a phased supply of the engines to align with aircraft manufacturing dates.
As HAL moves toward the MK-1A standard, the engines’ design life, performance dependability, and current maintenance ecosystem support operational continuity.
With several avionics, radar, and systems-level enhancements, TEJAS MK-1A is a significant advance above the standard MK-1 version.
The fighter has a sophisticated electronically scanned radar, an upgraded electronic warfare suite, a smart cockpit design, the ability to refuel in midair, and improved maintainability features that shorten the time between flights. Together, these improvements improve mission readiness and operational range while addressing long-standing user feedback from the Air Force.
The MK-1A is seen by the Indian Air Force, which is the main operator of the TEJAS fleet, as crucial for bridging the gap between the retirement of MiG-21 squadrons and the introduction of upcoming platforms such as the AMCA and the TEJAS MK-2. It is anticipated that the consistent delivery schedule will guarantee an ongoing influx of aircraft throughout the course of the decade, in line with aims for squadron strength and fleet modernization.
With talks continuing for greater localization of engine components under the “Make in India” framework, the HAL-GE partnership is probably going to go beyond this engine supply deal.
Although the F404-GE-IN20 is currently imported, once procurement numbers warrant the expenditure, subsequent iterations may see domestic assembly or licensed fabrication of specific modules.
HAL’s production capability and industrial environment will be mature enough to sustain more sophisticated fighter projects by the end of the seven-year delivery agreement.
The strategic shift in India’s aerospace industrial base from limited-run projects to persistent, high-throughput military aircraft production is reflected in the TEJAS MK-1A’s phased deployment, which started modestly but developed into a strong manufacturing cadence.
