SOURCE: AFI
By 2047, India aspires to be a global superpower, with a robust defense apparatus to match its growing geopolitical ambitions. The Indian Air Force (IAF), tasked with securing the nation’s airspace against formidable adversaries like China and Pakistan, faces a critical juncture in its modernization journey. With a dwindling fleet, delayed indigenous programs, and over-reliance on foreign suppliers, the IAF risks falling short of its strategic goals.
To address these challenges and align with India’s vision for 2047, the IAF must emulate the Indian Navy’s model of self-reliance, transitioning from a mere customer of defense equipment to a proactive builder with its own design bureau. This article explores the IAF’s current challenges, the Navy’s successful blueprint, and the steps needed to transform the IAF into a force capable of meeting India’s future ambitions.
As of June 2025, the IAF operates just 31 fighter squadrons against a sanctioned strength of 42, a gap widened by the retirement of ageing platforms like MiG-21s and Jaguars. Programs like the Tejas Mk1A, Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA), and Ghatak Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle (UCAV) face delays due to bureaucratic hurdles, funding constraints, and technological challenges. The IAF’s reliance on foreign original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) for platforms like the Rafale, constrained by slow upgrades and limited customization (as seen with Dassault’s eight-year timeline for GaN avionics), further hampers operational readiness.
The IAF’s current approach—acting primarily as a customer specifying requirements to the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) or foreign vendors—limits its control over timelines, costs, and technological outcomes. This contrasts sharply with the Indian Navy, which has successfully driven indigenous warship design and production, achieving over 90% indigenization in critical platforms. To meet India’s 2047 ambitions, the IAF must adopt a similar builder’s mindset, taking ownership of its modernization through an in-house design bureau and strategic oversight of future programs.
The Indian Navy’s transformation into a “builder’s navy” offers a compelling model for the IAF. Since the 1960s, the Navy has prioritized indigenous design through its Naval Design Bureau (NDB), established in 1964. The NDB, staffed by naval officers and engineers, has spearheaded the development of over 130 warships, including aircraft carriers (INS Vikrant), destroyers (Project 15B), frigates (Project 17A), and submarines (Arihant-class). By 2025, 63 of the Navy’s 65 major warships under construction are being built in Indian shipyards, reflecting a high degree of self-reliance.
Key elements of the Navy’s success include:
- In-House Design Expertise: The NDB integrates operational requirements with engineering solutions, reducing dependence on external agencies. It collaborates with public and private sector firms to translate designs into reality.
- Control Over Programs: The Navy directly oversees project timelines, budgets, and technology integration, minimizing delays and ensuring alignment with strategic needs.
- Private Sector Synergy: Partnerships with shipyards like Mazagon Dock, Garden Reach, and L&T have accelerated production and fostered innovation.
- Long-Term Vision: The Navy’s Maritime Capability Perspective Plan (MCPP) outlines a roadmap for 200 ships by 2050, ensuring sustained investment and technological advancement.
This builder’s approach has enabled the Navy to deploy advanced platforms like stealth frigates and nuclear submarines, positioning it as a regional powerhouse. The IAF, by contrast, lacks a dedicated design bureau and relies heavily on DRDO’s Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) or foreign OEMs, leading to misaligned priorities and prolonged development cycles.
The Indian Air Force stands at a crossroads. To match India’s ambitions for 2047, it must shed its role as a passive customer and emulate the Indian Navy’s builder’s ethos. By establishing an Air Force Design Bureau and taking charge of its modernization programs, the IAF can drive indigenous innovation, reduce OEM dependency, and build a future-ready force. The Navy’s success in achieving self-reliance through in-house design and private sector synergy offers a clear blueprint. With regional threats intensifying and India’s global role expanding, the IAF must act now to become a force capable of securing the nation’s skies and projecting power far beyond. By 2047, a builder’s IAF could not only meet India’s strategic needs but also position it as a global leader in aerospace technology.
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