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Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) confirmed on Wednesday that it has received the fourth GE F404-IN20 engine from US-based GE Aerospace under a 2021 contract, following the handover of the third engine earlier in September.
The Tejas Mk1A fleet, ordered in an initial batch of 83 aircraft, requires 99 F404 engines under a $716 million deal signed with GE in 2021. However, global supply chain disruptions, including the failure of a key South Korean supplier, have pushed the original delivery schedule back to March 2025. HAL has been assured of 12 engines by the end of this financial year, but the slippage is already slowing the pace of aircraft deliveries.
HAL’s Nashik production line, inaugurated in April 2023 as the company’s third Tejas assembly facility, is ready to roll out fighters. At least 10 aircraft are structurally complete and awaiting the installation of engines. While HAL is preparing to hand over the first two Tejas Mk1As to the IAF in October–November, senior officials admit that the delivery tempo is hostage to engine availability.
“We have at least 10 more aircraft complete, but grounded until engines arrive. Once supplies improve, deliveries can ramp up significantly,” a senior HAL official told BharatShakti.
The production bottleneck comes at a critical juncture for the IAF, which is grappling with a shrinking squadron strength and urgently needs the Mk1A to replace MiG-21s, which officially retired on October 26. The service has committed to inducting 83 Mk1A fighters, with a long-term vision of fielding up to 352 Tejas aircraft.
HAL has invested over Rs150 crore to expand capacity, with Nashik alone projected to deliver eight aircraft annually, and all three lines together expected to produce up to 24 jets a year by 2027. But without engines, the assembly lines risk idling even as pressure mounts on HAL to meet deadlines.
Supply Chain Snags, Future Fixes
While engine deliveries are slowly recovering, the impact has been significant. The IAF had expected smoother induction, but the staggered supply means fighters are rolling off production lines only to sit grounded.
To prevent future setbacks, HAL and GE are working on a broader technology partnership. HAL Chairman and Managing Director DK Sunil confirmed that a follow-on order for 113 F404 engines, worth over $1 billion, will be signed in October. Deliveries under this new contract are expected between 2027–2033, powering 68 single-seat fighters and 29 twin-seat trainers.
In parallel, India is pushing for deeper indigenisation. GE has agreed to an 80% transfer of technology for its more powerful F414 engines, which will power the Tejas Mk2 and the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA). The deal is central to New Delhi’s Atmanirbhar Bharat drive, which aims to reduce foreign dependence in critical defence technologies.
For now, however, the IAF’s frontline induction plan hinges on one critical factor: how fast GE Aerospace can get engines to HAL.
Ravi Shankar
Dr Ravi Shankar has over two decades of experience in communications, print journalism, electronic media, documentary film making and new media.
He makes regular appearances on national television news channels as a commentator and analyst on current and political affairs. Apart from being an acknowledged Journalist, he has been a passionate newsroom manager bringing a wide range of journalistic experience from past associations with India’s leading media conglomerates (Times of India group and India Today group) and had led global news-gathering operations at world’s biggest multimedia news agency- ANI-Reuters. He has covered Parliament extensively over the past several years. Widely traveled, he has covered several summits as part of media delegation accompanying the Indian President, Vice President, Prime Minister, External Affairs Minister and Finance Minister across Asia, Africa and Europe.
