Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently experienced a flight in a Tejas fighter during his visit to the state-run Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) facility in Bengaluru. The visit aimed to review the ongoing work at the manufacturing facility, particularly focusing on the production of Tejas jets.
The Prime Minister, who has been a strong advocate for indigenous production of defence products, later shared pictures from his flight on X, describing the experience as “incredibly enriching.” He emphasized that the flight bolstered his confidence in India’s indigenous capabilities, aligning with his government’s commitment to boosting manufacturing and exports of defence products.
During the visit, PM Modi reviewed various aspects of HAL’s manufacturing facility, showcasing India’s progress in developing and producing the Tejas, a light combat aircraft. Notably, the Tejas has attracted interest from several countries, and a significant development occurred during the Prime Minister’s state visit to the US, where a pact between HAL and US defence giant GE Aerospace was signed to jointly produce engines for the Mk-II-Tejas.
India’s focus on increasing its defence exports has yielded positive results, as highlighted by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in April of this year. He noted that India’s defence exports had reached an all-time high of Rs 15,920 crore in the fiscal year 2022-2023. This achievement underscores the country’s growing prominence in the global defence market.
