The government has approved a $7.4 billion project to buy 97 LCA Tejas Mark 1A fighter jets for the Indian Air Force (IAF) as part of the Make in India initiative, news agency ANI reported on Tuesday.

The final clearance came at a high-level meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government, paving the way for Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) to start production of the jets, according to defence sources.

This is the second major order for the Tejas Mark 1A. The government had earlier approved the purchase of 83 aircraft. The plan for 97 more jets was first revealed by the then Air Force Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari during his visit to Spain, when he told ANI about the IAF’s bigger plans to expand its fighter fleet.

According to defence sources, the new jets will help the IAF replace its MiG-21s, which are finally being phased out by the government in the coming weeks.

The project is also expected to be a major boost for indigenisation in the defence sector and provide new business opportunities for small and medium enterprises involved in making defence equipment.

The LCA Mark 1A comes with more advanced avionics and radars than the older 40 LCAs already supplied to the Air Force. Importantly, the new batch will have an indigenous content of over 65 per cent, ANI reported.

The latest move adds to India’s push for Atmanirbhar Bharat and Make in India, two key initiatives championed by PM Modi. HAL is also preparing to produce over 200 LCA Mark 2 aircraft and develop fifth-generation Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) in the years ahead.

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