India’s top air force officer, Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh, has expressed serious concern over repeated delays in the country's defence equipment projects, especially those led by Indian manufacturers.

While speaking at the CII Annual Business Summit, Air Chief Marshal Singh shared his frustration over project timelines not being met.

“Many times, we know while signing contracts that those systems will never come. Timelines are a big issue. Not a single project I can think of is completed on time. Why should we promise something that cannot be achieved?” he said.

One of the main examples he pointed to was the Tejas Mk1A fighter aircraft project. The Indian Air Force signed a ₹48,000 crore contract with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) in February 2021 for 83 jets. But not even one has been delivered yet.

Initial delivery was planned for March 2024, but the schedule remains unmet.

“Deliveries of Tejas Mk1 are delayed. The prototype of Tejas Mk2 is yet to roll out. There is no prototype yet of the stealth AMCA fighter,” the IAF chief added.

Marshal Singh said that delays are not limited to just one project. Several indigenous defence programmes, including the Tejas Mk2 and the upcoming stealth Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA), are also stuck in early stages. The AMCA doesn’t even have a prototype yet.

His comments come as India continues to push for self-reliance in defence production under the "Make in India" initiative.

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