ISLAMABAD: A string of accidents involving India’s indigenous Tejas light combat aircraft, culminating in the quiet grounding of the entire fleet, has dealt a significant blow to New Delhi’s ambitions of emerging as a regional superpower with robust home-grown military capabilities.
According to a recent BBC Urdu report, the Indian Air Force grounded all Tejas jets following multiple incidents in recent months, including a serious mishap on February 7, 2026, where a Tejas Mk1 overshot the runway during a training sortie at a frontline base. The pilot ejected safely, but the aircraft sustained major airframe damage, prompting comprehensive technical checks across the roughly 30 single-seat operational jets.
This grounding, described by experts as an indication of deep-rooted technical concerns rather than isolated events, has intensified scrutiny of the Tejas programme. BBC Urdu highlighted that such a fleet-wide suspension is rare and signals potential systemic flaws in design, manufacturing, or integration.
The Tejas, conceived in the early 1980s as a replacement for ageing MiG-21s, represents a flagship effort under India’s “Make in India” defence initiative. Yet, after more than four decades, the programme struggles with delays, limited production, and heavy reliance on foreign components. The aircraft depends on the imported General Electric F404 engine, with indigenous alternatives like the Kaveri still facing unresolved thrust and reliability issues.
Avionics, radar, and weapon systems also incorporate substantial inputs from the United States and Israel, raising questions about the extent of true self-reliance. BBC Urdu noted that these dependencies undermine repeated claims of indigenous mastery in advanced aerospace technology.
The recent incidents add to a troubling pattern. Prior mishaps include a Tejas crash near Jaisalmer in March 2024 and a fatal crash during a demonstration at the Dubai Airshow in November 2025, which drew global attention and damaged export prospects. The February 2026 event marks the third major incident in under two years, eroding confidence in the platform’s safety and operational maturity.
These setbacks occur against a backdrop of broader challenges for the Indian Air Force. The authorised squadron strength stands at 42, but actual numbers remain critically low, hovering around 30-31 due to retirements and slow inductions. Grounding the Tejas fleet exacerbates this shortfall, as the aircraft was meant to bolster frontline strength amid procurement delays for other platforms.
Defence analysts argue that the Tejas troubles reflect structural weaknesses in India’s defence industrial base, including inadequate long-term planning, quality control lapses, and over-optimistic timelines. The programme’s extended development cycle highlights the difficulties of achieving technological sovereignty in high-stakes military aviation without sustained foreign partnerships.
India currently lacks an operational fifth-generation fighter, with discussions around Russia’s Su-57 complicated by geopolitical sensitivities and compatibility concerns. Reliance on Russian-origin Su-30MKI jets continues, though those have also experienced accidents, including one in early 2026 near Jorhat.
The BBC Urdu coverage emphasises how these cumulative issues shatter narratives of India rapidly ascending to major military power status. Instead, they expose vulnerabilities in air combat readiness, particularly along contested borders where numerical and qualitative superiority matters.
Efforts to address these gaps include the Tejas Mk1A upgrades and the more advanced Mk2 variant, which promises better performance with the GE F414 engine. However, production ramps and engine negotiations face ongoing hurdles, suggesting resolution could take years.
Until indigenous engine development matures and fleet reliability improves, India’s air power projections remain constrained. The Tejas saga, as detailed in BBC Urdu, serves as a stark reminder of the complexities in building credible indigenous defence capabilities, even with substantial political will and investment.
The repeated grounding and accidents have not only strained operational availability but also tempered ambitions tied to regional dominance and global defence exports.