How Engine Deliveries Could Transform India’s Tejas Fighter Into an Export Contender
India’s indigenous Tejas Mk1A light combat aircraft has taken a significant step toward becoming not just a pillar of its own air power but a potential export product for friendly nations. A renewed commitment from US aerospace giant General Electric (GE) to supply a regular stream of F404-IN20 jet engines — the powerplant at the heart of the Tejas Mk1A — is shortening a chronic supply bottleneck and adding momentum to India’s broader defence industrial ambitions.
A Long Road to Realisation
Development of India’s Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) began more than three decades ago under the auspices of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), with manufacturing led by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). The Tejas family was envisioned to replace ageing jets such as the MiG-21, deliver modern air combat capability, and provide a platform that could be marketed abroad.
The Mk1A variant features significant upgrades over earlier versions, including advanced avionics, improved radar and electronic warfare systems, and integration with indigenous weapons like the Astra beyond-visual-range missile. Despite these capabilities, the aircraft’s entry into service with the Indian Air Force (IAF) was delayed — largely due to engine supply issues.
Central to the aircraft’s performance is the GE F404-IN20 turbofan engine. This powerplant, with around 84 kN of thrust and modern digital controls, enables the Tejas to meet 4.5-generation performance standards, including good maneuverability and supersonic capability.
Why Engine Supply Mattered So Much
Historically, GE had largely stopped producing the type of F404 engines used by Tejas, leading to long lags and uncertainty in deliveries. Production lines that had been dormant needed to be restarted and supply chains rebuilt — delays that significantly pushed back Tejas delivery schedules.
Australia, the United States, and other suppliers in the broader aerospace supply chain also had their own business cycles and disruptions, which compounded delays. In the absence of a steady engine supply, HAL had produced several jets but could not complete or deliver them to the IAF, which hampered both induction and export planning.
This slowing effect rippled outward: the IAF’s plans to raise three squadrons of the Mk1A by late 2026 were put at risk, and India’s defence export hopes were stalled.
The GE Commitment and What It Changes
In response to this bottleneck, GE has now pledged to supply 20 F404-IN20 engines annually, beginning in the 2026–27 financial year, with an initial small batch of five engines expected before March 2026.
This commitment signals a potentially steady cadence that could stabilize production. For HAL and the Indian defence establishment, having visibility on engine deliveries allows them to plan manufacturing, trials, and customer outreach with greater confidence.
A consistent supply chain is vital for any aircraft programme — domestic or export — because foreign customers scrutinize reliability and sustainment as much as performance. A dependable engine pipeline is often seen as a basic threshold for export competitiveness.
Impact on India’s Defence Ecosystem
The improved engine outlook has multifaceted implications:
Operational Readiness of the Indian Air Force
For the IAF, the Mk1A is a critical platform aimed at modernizing its fighter fleet. The service has struggled for years with declining squadron strength. A dependable supply of engines that allows a steady stream of aircraft deliveries will directly aid operational readiness.
Earlier delays had caused frustration within military and strategic circles. Experts and analysts have pointed out that if the Tejas programme had delivered on time, it could have eased pressure on India’s questionable fighter strength and reduced dependence on expensive foreign imports.
Confidence in Indian Defence Manufacturing
Assured engine deliveries — the backbone of any jet programme — help send a clear signal: India’s defence manufacturing ecosystem can stand on firmer ground. For HAL, this means better planning for production lines, workforce allocation, and integration schedules.
HAL has already opened a third production line for Tejas at its Nashik facility, indicating preparations to ramp up output. As the engine supply situation stabilizes, this enhanced capacity can be fully utilized.
Export Prospects and Global Competition
India’s ambition to become a player in the global defence market has been long articulated, with a focus on cost-effective, capable platforms tailored for nations with mid-range budgets. The Tejas Mk1A’s combination of modern avionics, robust performance, and low operational costs makes it attractive to buyers in Southeast Asia, Africa, and Latin America — regions where many air forces still operate older jets like the Northrop F-5 or Chinese derivatives.
However, exports are not won on the merits of hardware alone. Export success often depends on the ability to demonstrate production reliability and long-term support — areas where the engine supply commitment provides a tangible improvement.
Countries such as the Philippines and Egypt have shown interest in the Tejas platform in the past. A credible engine supply chain strengthens India’s pitch in these markets, enabling HAL and the government to engage customers with greater assurance on sustainment.
Broader Strategic and Industrial Implications
The engine deal also plays into larger strategic and industrial narratives:
Foreign Collaboration and Technology Pathways
While the F404 engine remains fundamentally a GE product, India has been seeking deeper cooperation — including discussions around technology transfer and localized assembly or manufacturing. This is seen in parallel moves toward co-producing more advanced engines like the GE F414 for future aircraft generations.
Such collaborations, if cemented, could support a longer-term pathway toward indigenous capabilities as well. For example, India’s indigenous Kaveri engine programme has been showcased with ambitions of ultimately supporting higher-thrust applications, but it remains years from operational deployment.
Economic and Industrial Effects
Stable production supports downstream industries: precision machining, avionics, composites, and maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) sectors all benefit from a predictable manufacturing line. Jobs, skill development, and supplier network robustness improve as manufacturing steadies and potentially expands.
Geopolitical Dimensions
The defence partnership in supplying military engines also reflects evolving geopolitical ties. In a competitive global landscape, defence cooperation arrangements — including sustained supply lines — often signal strategic partnership beyond simple commercial transactions.
Challenges and Caveats Ahead
Despite improved prospects, challenges remain.
First, the planned annual output of 20 engines may still limit how quickly aircraft can be delivered both domestically and for export. If HAL targets higher production rates, engine deliveries must scale with those ambitions. Critics have already pointed out that limited engine numbers could constrain how rapidly India can meet both IAF and foreign orders.
Second, global aerospace supply chains remain susceptible to disruptions — as was seen in prior delays. Sustaining production without hiccups will require ongoing coordination among GE, HAL, and component suppliers worldwide.
Finally, actual export deals require more than supplier commitments; they depend on competitive pricing, financing, political diplomacy, and after-sales support.
Future Outlook
Looking ahead, the improved engine pipeline places the Tejas Mk1A programme on a more solid footing. With the IAF moving to stabilize its fleet and HAL ready to expand production, the aircraft could transition from a long-awaited domestic solution to an international contender.
India’s defence export strategy more broadly aims to elevate the country from a primarily import-dependent nation to a supplier of credible, cost-effective systems. The Tejas Mk1A, backed by reliable engine deliveries and ongoing upgrades, is poised to play a central role in that narrative.
Additional enhancements — such as incorporation of more indigenous technologies and expansion into markets with newer customers — could further support export ambitions.
In the coming years, those developments may well define whether India’s home-grown fighter not only serves its own skies but also finds new wings across continents.