The Tejas, India’s indigenously developed fighter jet, experienced its first crash in Rajasthan since joining the Indian Air Force nearly eight years ago.
The Tejas crash incident occurred on Tuesday, but the pilot managed to eject safely, according to an official statement.
Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, India emphasises local production to reduce its dependence on defence imports. The Tejas, named for “flame” or “brilliance” in Sanskrit, joined the air force in 2016, marking a significant step in modernizing India’s primarily Soviet-era aircraft fleet.
The Tejas’s crash marks the first significant safety incident for the Tejas, as an Air Force official reported to Reuters. It disrupts its previously unblemished record since its initial test flight over twenty years ago.
Prime Minister Modi has ambitious plans to increase annual defence exports to $5 billion by 2025, a substantial rise from 2023 figures. Efforts to sell the Tejas internationally are part of these broader goals.
In 2021, the Indian government awarded Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, a state-owned enterprise, a $6 billion contract for 83 Tejas jets despite the aircraft’s several design challenges and previous rejection by the Indian Navy for its weight.
