The first centre fuselage assembly for the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas Mk1A was handed over to Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) by M/s VEM Technologies in Hyderabad on Friday. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) said that this is the first time a major sub-assembly for the LCA Tejas has been handed over by a private Indian company.

The MoD believes that it is a significant boost to India’s indigenous defence manufacturing capabilities. According to the Ministry of Defence, the LCA Tejas Division has already received structural modules of air intake assemblies, rear fuselage assemblies, loom assemblies, and fin and rudder assemblies in the Mk1A configuration. HAL plans to extend this outsourcing model to future projects, reinforcing its in-house capacity with the expertise of Indian industry.

On the occasion of receiving the first centre fuselage assembly for the LCA Tejas Mk1A, by HAL, Secretary (Defence Production), Sanjeev Kumar hailed the partnership between HAL and VEM Technologies in accelerating the production of LCA Mk 1A. He said that there is a significant growth in defence production at a rate of about 10 per cent annually, as well as in defence exports. “This would not have been possible without the support of industries and public sector units like HAL. Security and sovereignty of the country are paramount and cannot be achieved without own manufacturing and supply of spare parts, which could meet the requirements of the Armed Forces,” he added.

The handover on Friday took place in the presence of Secretary (Defence Production) Sanjeev Kumar and Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of HAL, D.K. Sunil. The event marks, for the first time, a major sub-assembly for the LCA Tejas by a private Indian company. CMD, HAL, acknowledged the rapid growth of Tier 1 and MSME suppliers in the production of the LCA Tejas. He said that the handover marked a significant milestone in establishing a fourth production line for the LCA Mk1A, in addition to the two existing lines in HAL-Bengaluru and one in HAL-Nashik.

He assured that with major sub-assemblies underway, HAL will increase the production of the LCA aircraft and ensure timely deliveries to the Indian Air Force. HAL has built a national aerospace ecosystem by closely supporting private partners and providing critical inputs such as jigs, fixtures, tools, and technical know-how. This has enabled companies like L&T, Alpha Tocol, Tata Advanced Systems Ltd (TASL), VEM Technologies, and Lakshmi Machine Works (LMW) to produce complex sub-assemblies such as centre fuselages, fuel drop tanks, pylons, rear fuselages, wings, fins, rudders, and air intakes, the official added. In line with the vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat, HAL continues to drive indigenisation efforts in the aerospace and defence sector.

MoD said that HAL has partnered with over 6,300 Indian vendors, including 2,448 MSMEs, supporting thousands of skilled jobs and contributing to a robust domestic supply chain. In the last three years, HAL has placed orders worth Rs 13,763 crore with Indian vendors and is actively pursuing the indigenisation of complex aircraft systems and critical components across platforms.

–IANS

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The Indian government has strongly refuted claims made by The New York Times in a report published on 28 March 2025, which alleged that Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) supplied military-grade equipment to Russia in violation of international restrictions.

The American newspaper labeled HAL as a “major supplier” to Moscow’s sanctioned state weapons agency, Rosoboronexport, and suggested that the Indian public-sector aerospace and defense company had facilitated shipments of equipment procured from British manufacturer H.R. Smith Group to Russia. However, H.R. Smith Group has clarified that the equipment in question is not intended for military use.

While the report acknowledged that there was no direct evidence proving H.R. Smith’s products were sent to Russia, it cited shipment records indicating that HAL had received parts from the British manufacturer and, within days, exported components with the same product codes to Russia.

Furthermore, The New York Times alleged that between 2023 and 2024, H.R. Smith Group made 118 shipments of “restricted technology” worth $2 million to HAL. It also claimed that HAL, in turn, exported 13 shipments of similar components to Rosoboronexport for $14 million during the same period.

Indian Govt Rejects NYT’s Claims

Indian government sources have dismissed the report as “factually incorrect” and “misleading,” accusing the publication of distorting facts to suit a political agenda.

India Trashes New York Times Report. Sources say that the said “report is factually incorrect and misleading. It has tried to frame issues and distort facts to suit a political narrative.’ pic.twitter.com/UsNQ3AzC8k

— Sidhant Sibal (@sidhant) March 31, 2025

They stated, “It (New York Times) has tried to frame issues and distort facts to suit a political narrative. Indian entity has scrupulously followed all its intl obligations on strategic trade controls & end-user commitments. India’s robust legal and regulatory framework on strategic trade continues to guide overseas commercial ventures by its companies. We expect reputed media outlets to undertake basic due diligence while publishing such reports, which obviously was overlooked in the instant case.”

This is not the first instance of The New York Times publishing reports critical of India. The American newspaper has faced accusations of bias in the past, with Indian media outlets, frequently challenging its coverage of India-related issues.

(With inputs from OpIndia)

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