Prime Minister Narendra Modi flew on a Tejas aircraft during his visit to Defence PSU Hindustan Aeronautics Limited in Bengaluru, Karnataka. Sharing his experience on X (formerly Twitter), PM Modi described it as an “incredibly enriching” experience that filled him with a renewed “sense of pride”. The first version of the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) was inducted into the Indian Air Force in 2016. Currently, two squadrons of the Indian Air Force, 45 Squadron and 18 Squadron, are fully operational with LCA Tejas. Under the BJP-led NDA Government, an order worth Rs 36,468 crore for the delivery of 83 LCA Mk 1A aircraft has been placed with HAL. The delivery of these aircraft is expected to start by February 2024. Furthermore, over Rs 9000 crore has been sanctioned for the development of LCA Mk 2, an updated and more powerful version of LCA Tejas. During PM Modi’s visit to the US in June 2023, the transfer of technology for the manufacturing of the GE engine in India was negotiated with GE. For more information, please visit the link above.