Air Chief Marshal AP Singh has raised serious concerns about the ongoing delays in the delivery of the Tejas fighter aircraft, calling for an urgent boost in private sector partnerships for defence product development. Speaking at the 21st Subroto Mukherjee Seminar, Singh emphasized that R&D in defence becomes irrelevant if it doesn't meet its timelines, pointing out how the Tejas project, conceived in 1984, still faces delays. Despite its induction into the Indian Air Force in 2016, the first batch of 40 aircraft is still not delivered.

He also highlighted the need for flexible capacity building and the importance of investing in advanced manufacturing processes to speed up production. According to Singh, multiple sources of production and competition are crucial to accelerate delivery timelines.

The Tejas Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) program was initiated to replace the aging MiG-21 fleet, and despite its successful history, its procurement has faced numerous delays. The aircraft, manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), has shown promise as a multi-role fighter and garnered international interest from countries like Nigeria and the Philippines.

Singh also stressed the importance of increasing R&D funding from the current 5% of the defence budget to 15%, enabling private players to be part of the process. This call for greater participation from the private sector is in response to growing competition from adversaries like China, which has rapidly advanced its own aerospace technology, including the development of a 6th-generation stealth fighter.

Amidst these concerns, the delay in the delivery of GE F404 engines for the Tejas Mk1A variant has also impacted the programme's progress, with the US company promising to resolve these issues by March 2025. The IAF's squadron strength is also a growing concern, as only 31 of the sanctioned 42 squadrons are operational, and the phase-out of older aircraft like the MiG-21 further stresses the need for timely aircraft deliveries.