India HAL Tejas Program

[Rajendra Chola]

This is unlikely to happen. At best, it'd be a couple of more squadrons of Rafales for IAF along with 36 Rafale-Ms' for IN

If you obtained this price from the recent report of 97 Mk-1As' costing $7.8B, that isn't the unit cost since it potentially includes long term maintenance and spares contracts, set up of required facilities, weapons etc

It costed IAF around $40-45m per jet for Mk-1 and I assume the Mk-1As' should cost an additional ~$10m

https://asiatimes.com/2024/04/indias-tejas-vs-pakistans-jf-17-in-low-cost-fighter-showdown/#

Moves in the last few days may make it possible to happen. India has realized US will provide us no support in event of war, and that they have to maintain minimum credible defence, forget offense. It’s possible, they may move forward with 114 & somehow find a way to fund Mk2, AMCA , Ghatak UCAV & possibly TEDBF (not approved yet).