SOURCE: AFI
Renowned security expert Bharat Karnad has called upon the Government of India (GOI) to take decisive action to expedite the production of the Tejas light combat aircraft and break the country’s reliance on foreign military equipment.
In his latest column, Karnad, a Senior Fellow at the Centre for Policy Research, New Delhi, has urged the GOI to instruct the National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL) and the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) to transfer the Tejas source codes to private sector giants like L&T, Tata, and Mahindra Aerospace.
Karnad further suggests that the GOI should provide significant incentives, such as tax holidays, to these companies to encourage them to establish two production lines each for the Tejas 1A and subsequent models, as well as the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA). This would enable India to produce a total of 144 Tejas aircraft annually, meeting the entire requirement of the Indian Air Force (IAF) within three years of receiving the green signal.
Karnad’s proposal aims to address the longstanding issue of delays and bottlenecks in India’s defense manufacturing sector. By involving the private sector and providing the necessary incentives, the GOI can accelerate the production of the Tejas and reduce the country’s dependence on foreign military equipment. This would not only strengthen India’s defense capabilities but also boost its domestic aerospace industry and create jobs.