The Cabinet Committee on Security chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on January 13 approved a Rs 48,000-crore deal for the purchase of 83 Light Combat Aircraft Tejas from the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).
Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh announced on Twitter that it is the largest-ever procurement deal in the indigenous military aviation sector.The CCS chaired by PM Sh. @narendramodi today approved the largest indigenous defence procurement deal worth about 48000 Crores to strengthen IAF’s fleet of homegrown fighter jet ‘LCA-Tejas’. This deal will be a game changer for self reliance in the Indian defence manufacturing.
— Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) January 13, 2021
"The LCA-Tejas is going to be the backbone of the IAF fighter fleet in years to come," Singh pointed out. "The indigenous content of LCA-Tejas is 50% in Mk1A variant which will be enhanced to 60%," he noted.
Singh also said HAL has already set up a second line manufacturing facilities at its Nasik and Bengaluru divisions.
The Indian Air Force in 2017 issued the request for proposal (RFP) to state-run aerospace behemoth HAL for the procurement of 83 Tejas light combat aircraft.