On October 17, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will preside over a ceremony in Nashik marking the handover of India's first Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas Mk1A to the Indian Air Force. It's a moment meant for celebration—a testament to indigenous capability and self-reliance in defense manufacturing. Yet beneath the fanfare lies a troubling reality that threatens to undermine not just this program, but India's entire defense industrial ambitions.

The delivery comes over eight months late. HAL's contract to supply 83 Tejas Mk1A aircraft was scheduled to begin in February 2024, but delays in engine deliveries from General Electric have pushed the timeline back significantly. With GE supplying merely one or two engines per month, HAL now projects completion within four years—assuming no fu

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