Opinion: India’s Fighter Jet Conundrum — The Truth About ‘Atmanirbhar’ Jets

The IAF is still awaiting all the 40 Tejas Mk1 ordered, which it needs to build two squadrons. Since the first Tejas was inducted in 2016, the IAF has received 36.

Source : Ministry of Defence

Aero India, the biennial air show of the Ministry of Defence meant for the Indian Air Force, keeps the entire country enthralled for four days, as hundreds of global vendors and exhibitors — from the US to Russia and Germany — showcase some of the world’s marquee aircraft, particularly fighter jets. The cynosure of this year’s Aero India was undoubtedly Russia’s fifth-generation multirole fighter Su-57E, along with the United States’ F-35. However, behind all