In a candid admission that underscores growing concerns within India’s defence establishment, air chief marshal (ACM) Amar Preet Singh on Thursday said that the country routinely signs defence contracts, despite being aware that the systems under procurement will not arrive on time. The Indian Air Force (IAF) chief made the remarks while addressing industry leaders at the CII Annual Business Summit 2025 in New Delhi.
“Timeline is a big issue,” ACM Singh says, echoing his previous frustrations over missed deadlines and underperformance in the indigenous defence production sector. “Not a single project that I can think of has been completed on time. Why should we promise something which cannot be achieved? Sometimes we know at the time of signing that it’s not going to come, yet we sign the contract,” he added, calling for greater realism and transparency in India’s defence procurement processes.
This isn’t the first time the Air Force chief has flagged concerns. Nearly three months ago, he publicly criticised state-run Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) over the delay in delivering Tejas Mk1A fighter jets. Under a Rs48,000-crore contract signed in February 2021, HAL was expected to begin delivery of the 83 light combat aircraft (LCA) from March 2024. However, not a single aircraft has been delivered so far.
ACM Singh said the production delays have been exacerbated by a slow supply of engines from American manufacturer General Electric (GE), affecting HAL’s ability to meet deadlines. “Deliveries of Tejas Mk1 are delayed. The prototype of Tejas Mk2 is yet to roll out. There is no prototype yet of the stealth AMCA fighter,” he said.
An accidental recording earlier this year also revealed the air chief expressing his lack of confidence in HAL, while seated inside an HJT-36 Yash as aircraft. “I was promised that when I come here in February, 11 Tejas Mk1As would be ready. And not a single one is ready,” he was heard saying.
The air chief’s remarks come in the aftermath of Operation Sindoor—India’s four-day military campaign launched on 7 May 2025 in retaliation for the terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam that claimed 26 lives. Indian intelligence agencies have blamed the assault on Pakistan-based terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba, allegedly backed by elements of Pakistan’s military establishment.
Lauding the operation as a 'national victory', ACM Singh said, “This was an operation that was executed in a very professional manner by everybody—agencies and forces alike. We were taking the path of truth, and I think God was with us too.”
He credited the success of the operation to seamless coordination, saying, “When truth is with you, everything happens on its own.”
He stressed that Operation Sindoor served as a wake-up call, offering clarity on the rapidly evolving character of warfare. “Every day we are finding new technologies coming in. The character of war is changing. We need to realign our thought processes accordingly,” he noted.
Reinforcing the need for strategic autonomy under the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative, the Air Force chief says the armed forces cannot afford to wait for indigenous manufacturing to catch up a decade from now. “In 10 years, we may have more output from industry, but what we need today, we need today,” he asserted.
Calling for immediate action, ACM Singh urged the defence sector to fast-track 'Make in India' programmes that deliver capabilities now, even as longer-term 'Design in India' initiatives continue in parallel. He welcomed the government’s decision to open the advanced medium combat aircraft (AMCA) programme to private sector participation.
“The clearance of AMCA for private players marks a significant step. It shows the government’s confidence in our private sector. This will pave the way for more meaningful industry involvement in the future,” he says.
The Air Force chief emphasised that the future of India’s defence ecosystem hinges on mutual trust and clear communication between the armed forces and industry stakeholders. “We cannot just talk about producing in India—we need to talk about designing here too. We need both capability and capacity,” he added.
He urged industry players not to make unachievable promises. “Once we have committed to something, we must deliver. The Air Force is doing its part to support Make in India, but we need industry to be in mission mode as well,” he says.
ACM Singh’s forthright comments were echoed by other top officials at the summit. Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi, chief of the naval staff, reiterated the importance of India's maritime growth and strategic geography. “India is, was, and will always be a maritime nation—not just by design or geography, but also by destiny,” he says.
Defence secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh underlined the government's commitment to overhauling the defence manufacturing framework. Referring to efforts to streamline licensing processes and boost private sector participation, he says, “India’s defence vision is intrinsically linked to Atmanirbharta, strategic autonomy, and our aspiration for a Viksit Bharat.”
As India aims to bolster its self-reliance in defence manufacturing, the air chief’s words strike a chord across the strategic spectrum. With adversaries rapidly modernising their military capabilities and the character of conflict constantly shifting, delays in defence procurement could have serious consequences for national security.
The message from the top is clear: the time for slow processes and unmet promises is over. India’s armed forces need not just promises, but timely delivery and trusted partnerships to remain battle-ready in a world of unpredictable threats and fast-evolving warfare.
Comments
parimalshah1
2 weeks ago
Looks like the usual LACKADAISICAL attitude of PSU workers is still a headache for the government and the armed forces.
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