Why it is in the news
At Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), Bengaluru, on 18 September 2026, Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh handed over two LCA Tejas Final Operational Clearance (FOC) twin-seat trainers and the first series-production HTT-40 basic trainer, formally named “Ankur”, to the Indian Air Force, along with four Dhruv NG helicopters to Pawan Hans Limited. Union Civil Aviation Minister K. Rammohan Naidu, Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal A.P. Singh and HAL CMD Dr Ravi K. were present.
The exam angle
Issue: India has crossed the design threshold in military aviation but not the delivery threshold. The binding constraint on force levels is no longer whether an Indian aircraft can be designed, but how long it takes to move from certification to repeat-rate series production — and whether propulsion can be indigenised at all.