Tejas Mk1A
VEM Technologies delivered the first centre fuselage of Tejas Mk1A to HAL, marking a historic milestone in private sector participation in defence manufacturing under Aatmanirbhar Bharat.
Anshu Kashid
Pune, 31 May 2025 : In a major step towards strengthening India’s self-reliance in defence manufacturing, the first-ever centre fuselage (central body part) of the LCA Tejas Mk1A fighter jet made by a private Indian company — VEM Technologies — was officially handed over to Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) on May 30, 2025, in Hyderabad.
This is a historic milestone, as it is the first time a key part of the Tejas fighter jet has been built by a private firm, showing the growing role of Indian companies in advanced defence production.
At the handover ceremony, Defence Production Secretary Shri Sanjeev Kumar praised the public-private partnership between HAL and VEM Technologies, stating that India’s defence manufacturing and exports are growing steadily, and this progress wouldn’t be possible without the support of both public sector units and private industries.
HAL Chairman Dr. D. K. Sunil added that this achievement supports the plan to increase production through a fourth assembly line, apart from the existing three lines in Bengaluru and Nashik. With companies like VEM now making major parts, HAL will be able to deliver more Tejas aircraft on time to the Indian Air Force.
To make this possible, HAL has built a strong aerospace ecosystem, sharing tools, equipment, and technical expertise with companies such as Tata Advanced Systems, L\&T, Alpha Tocol, Lakshmi Machine Works, and others. These companies are already manufacturing several Tejas components, including fuselages, wings, fuel tanks, and tail parts.
So far, HAL has received several structural modules for the Mk1A version of Tejas from its partners, and it plans to continue this outsourcing model for future aircraft projects as well.
Under the Aatmanirbhar Bharat (Self-Reliant India) initiative, HAL has tied up with over 6,300 Indian vendors, including more than 2,400 small and medium enterprises (MSMEs). These collaborations have generated thousands of jobs and strengthened India’s domestic defence supply chain. In the last three years alone, HAL has placed Rs 13,763 crore worth of orders with Indian companies and is working actively to make more complex parts within the country.
This development is a strong example of how India is moving towards greater independence in defence production, reducing reliance on imports, and building a powerful domestic manufacturing base.
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