Maybe GE just doesn't see a market for it... and the F404-GE-IN20 simply isn't worth the effort—everyone else uses the off-the-shelf F-404, which can be scaled.
We need to take an honest look at the facts here, without the usual PR spin: The fact that deliveries of the Tejas Mk1A have stalled could ultimately be a strategic decision on GE’s part. If you look at the global market, GE likely simply doesn’t see any growth potential for the Tejas beyond India’s own needs. And let’s be realistic: Aside from the Indian Air Force, no one is going to buy this aircraft. This isn’t bashing; it’s a sober assessment of the market situation.
Who, seriously, would you even try to sell this platform to? In the Middle East or Southeast Asia, no one is going to put the Tejas in their hangar because the aircraft is a diplomatic and technical nightmare. It’s crammed with subsystems from France, Israel, and the U.S., which immediately plunges any buyer into “update and certification hell.” For every minor adjustment or software patch, one would feel compelled to ask half the world for permission and coordinate contracts with four different nations. A potential customer would much rather opt for a JF-17, a J-10C, or proven systems like the F-16, the Gripen, or the Rafale, where there are clear points of contact and straightforward update paths.
India has made a fundamental strategic mistake here: the aircraft was developed around foreign components instead of first bringing 70 to 80 percent of the critical subsystems to market readiness domestically. Had this technological foundation been established first, India would now possess the platform sovereignty that is absolutely essential for genuine marketing abroad. As it stands, however, the Tejas remains a hybrid construct that, while slowly improving thanks to the new Uttam radar and Indian EW suites, will always remain fundamentally dependent on foreign suppliers. In this form, the project is essentially a stillbirth for the export market. One can only hope for the Indian aerospace industry that the AMCA program will finally learn from these mistakes and prioritize national sovereignty over the technology.
| Milestone | Date | Duration since First Flight |
|---|
| First Flight (TD-1 Prototype) | Jan 2001 | - |
| IOC (Initial Operational Clearance) | Jan 2015 | ~ 14 Years |
| FOC (Final Operational Clearance) | Feb 2019 | ~ 18 Years |
| Mk1A Block 1 (Modernization) | April 2026 | ~ 25 Years (Roll-out phase) |
That's simply not enough for a fighter jet or LCA/Trainer.
A large number of completed Tejas aircraft are sitting idle on the ground at Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) facilities.
