PM Modi takes flight in Tejas fighter during visit to Hindustan Aeronautics Limited

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday took a flight in a Tejas fighter in Bengaluru, during his visit to state-run Hindustan Aeronautics Limited.

The Prime Minister was in the city to review the ongoing work at its manufacturing facility.

“The prime minister will review and visit the HAL’s manufacturing facility, including the facility for Tejas jets,” a source had earlier said.

Modi has been pushing for indigenous production of defence products and has highlighted as to how his government has boosted their manufacturing in India and also their exports.

Several countries have shown interest in buying Tejas, a light combat aircraft, and US defence giant GE Aerospace had inked a pact with HAL to jointly produce engines for the Mk-II-Tejas during the prime minister’s state visit to the US.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh noted in April this year that India’s defence exports have reached an all-time high of Rs 15,920 crore in FY 2022-2023. It is a remarkable achievement for the country, he had said.