India’s long journey to acquire modern fighter jets has been one of high aspirations, harsh realities, and a struggle to reconcile aspiration with performance. Over the years, the country has attempted to design and deploy sophisticated combat planes that could secure its skies and facilitate its plans for global influence. But the ride thus far has been plagued with delays, missed chances, and an increasing gap between promise and performance.
One of the most well-known attempts was joining a cooperative program with Russia in 2007 to develop a stealth fighter from the ground up to address its own needs. The program, which was referred to as the Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft program, promised to have sophisticated features like super-cruise, next-generation avionics, and high stealth levels. But over time, the project was slowed by delays, out-of-control costs, and a maddening lack of real technology transfer. New Delhi cut its losses in 2018, with nothing to show for it and no one whose job it was to waste the time and money.
The failure prompted India to focus on developing more in-house. Out of that determination was born the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft initiative—an ambitious project to design and produce a true fifth-generation stealth fighter using Indian skill and expertise. Initially envisioned as a twin-engine, multi-role aircraft with radar-absorbing material and AI-based systems, and internal bays to carry weapons, the AMCA could be India’s aerospace sector crown jewel. But the challenges are humongous. The country is still unable to design and manufacture a homegrown fifth-generation engine, and reliance on such overseas suppliers as General Electric continues to generate concerns over technology transfer and ultimate independence.
With these efforts moving ahead, the Air Force is under stress. Several squadrons are still flying older planes nearing the end of their life cycle, leaving India with only 31 operational squadrons against the sanctioned force of 42. Planes such as MiG-21s, Jaguars, and Mirage-2000s can retire, and the resulting shortfall will be difficult to fill with urgency. Indigenous options like the Tejas Light Combat Aircraft and its upcoming Mark II variant are expected to help, but both are bedeviled by delays that thwart induction into service.
The problem is not so much a case of individual aircraft—it is systemic. India’s defense industrial base has been held back for decades by bureaucracy, by funding shortfalls, and by limiting private sector involvement. The collapse of the so-called Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft deal, which was intended to introduce more than a hundred fighters along with critical technology transfer, is even today remembered by the vast majority of defense experts as one of the most important landmarks where India missed its golden chance to bolster indigenous production capabilities. Unless there are basic reforms, homegrown programs will continue to fight against technical as well as organizational issues.
No aspect of this is more evident than in engine technology and stealth design. Developing a cutting-edge fighter engine domestically is one of the most daunting technology challenges in aerospace, and progress has advanced agonizingly slowly.
India remains dependent on foreign power plants, with all the usual risks of export controls and restrictive know-how transfer. Even promising new technologies, such as the radar-absorbing materials being developed at the world’s leading research institutions, take several years of testing and scaling before they can actually change the landscape. There are, nonetheless, reasons for hope.
The latest developments in indigenous stealth coatings and cutting-edge composites show that Indian scientists and engineers are capable of creating world-class innovation if facilitated. New research programs are beginning to bridge some of the gaps, and the Tejas itself, in spite of the delay, has proved that India can develop a modern fighter that operates effectively. The test is now to make a success of these accomplishments, scale up production, and avoid past blunders.
At its essence is a conflict between operational needs and political posturing. The commanders speak of self-sufficiency and the vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat, but the Air Force requires tested, deployable fighters to remain prepared. Balancing how much to import and invest in domestically developed projects correctly is not simply a procurement matter—it is a matter of national defense.
The future of India in the skies will hinge on whether it can make decisive but sensible steps. That means streamlining acquisition, equipping the private sector, and progressing with local programs without letting timelines slip constantly. The AMCA project, if kept on track, can shape up to become the bedrock of airpower for the next several years. But with no reforms and sustained political will, the gulf between vision and reality could continue to grow.
High stakes are involved. With aging fleets, emerging security threats, and shifting balances of power worldwide, India must make a choice: whether it will lead through innovation, deliver on partnerships, or get left behind. The decision will not just define its Air Force, but its strategic position for generations to come.
