Dubai, November 2025 – India’s Tejas light combat aircraft suffered a high-profile crash at the Dubai Airshow, striking a blow to the country’s flagship home-built fighter programme and raising questions about its export prospects. Wing Commander Namansh Syal tragically lost his life in the incident.
The cause of the crash has not been determined, but experts note that public mishaps at major airshows can overshadow efforts to market domestically developed jets abroad. The Dubai Airshow, the world’s third-largest, is a key platform for military diplomacy and arms sales, attracting regional rivals, including Pakistan, which attended six months after the largest air battle between the two countries in decades.
Despite the setback, analysts suggest the Tejas programme’s long-term value lies in strengthening India’s industrial and technological base for future combat aircraft, rather than immediate overseas sales. Historically, airshow crashes have not prevented orders, as seen with past Russian and Indian jets.
Production and Export Challenges
The Tejas programme, initiated in the 1980s to replace aging MiG-21s, faces delays due to supply-chain issues with GE Aerospace engines. The state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) has 180 Mk-1A variants on order domestically, but deliveries are yet to begin.
Export ambitions for markets in Asia, Africa, and Latin America are now on hold, with the Dubai crash likely stalling overseas sales. HAL opened a sales office in Malaysia in 2023 to promote the fighter abroad.
Domestic Defense Needs
The Indian Air Force (IAF) is contending with shrinking fighter squadrons, down to 29 from an approved 42. Early-generation MiG-29s, Jaguars, and Mirage 2000s are slated for retirement, leaving Tejas as a key replacement. India is exploring off-the-shelf purchases, including additional French Rafales, while still planning to expand the 40 aircraft currently in service. Competing offers for 5th-generation fighters like the U.S. F-35 and Russia’s Su-57 are also under review.
Regional Context
The Dubai Airshow highlighted ongoing India-Pakistan rivalry, with Pakistan promoting its JF-17 Thunder Block III fighter, co-developed with China, as “battle-tested” after recent conflicts. Indian officials maintain that Tejas has not yet been deployed operationally in such engagements, focusing instead on safety and domestic capability.
Experts say the Tejas programme remains crucial as a “base for future indigenous combat aircraft development”, even if its export trajectory faces delays.