Indian Air Force marks 25 years of Tejas LCA’s historic first flight

The 25th anniversary of the historic first flight of the domestic Tejas Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) was celebrated by the Indian Air Force. “On the 25th anniversary of Tejas LCA’s historic first flight, #IAF considers the long-lasting collaboration in creating this fighter. Congratulations to the creative scientists at ADA, the talented engineers at HAL, the courageous test pilots and engineers in the IAF and IN, and all the IAF personnel who have promoted independence.” The IAF wrote, “Sky is the limit!” in a social media post. On January 4, 2001, Wing Commander Rajiv Kothiyal piloted the Technology Demonstrator (TD-1) from Bengaluru’s HAL Airport, marking Tejas’ historic first flight.

This flight started the aircraft’s flight testing phase, which ultimately resulted in its acceptance into the Indian Air Force and the creation of more sophisticated models like the Tejas Mk1A. The Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) program was started by the government in 1983 with the original intention of creating a new light combat aircraft to replace the IAF’s aging fleet. In late 2025, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) completed a contract for over Rs 62,370 crore, securing a significant order for 97 more LCA Tejas Mk-1A fighters to supplement its current orders for 83 aircraft.

VEM Technologies in Hyderabad delivered the first center fuselage assembly for the Tejas Mk1A to Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) in May 2025. Dr. D. K. Sunil, Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of HAL, and Secretary (Defense Production) Sanjeev Kumar were present for the handover. For the first time, a private Indian manufacturer produced a significant sub-assembly for the LCA Tejas.