India’s long-running quest to establish the Tejas as a dependable, export-ready indigenous fighter jet has been thrown into turmoil after the fatal crash at the Dubai Airshow. The accident, which claimed the life of Wing Commander Namansh Syal during a high-visibility aerobatic display, unfolded before international delegations, military buyers and global media — instantly damaging the aircraft’s image at a moment when India was aggressively marketing it abroad.
The crash has triggered deep concern across the defence establishment. While the technical cause is still being investigated, analysts say the visual impact alone has already affected perceptions. Airshows are meant to demonstrate precision, reliability and national capability; a mid-air failure sends an opposite, and deeply counterproductive, message. For a programme that symbolises India’s decades-long pursuit of aerospace self-reliance, the timing and visibility of this accident could not have been worse.
Tejas has always carried the burden of expectation. First conceptualised in the 1980s to replace the MiG-21 fleet, the aircraft has endured chronic delays, technology redesigns, sanctions, and dependence on foreign engines. HAL’s current order book of 180 Tejas Mk-1A jets for the Indian Air Force should have been a turning point, yet production bottlenecks — including delays tied to GE Aerospace engines — have slowed deliveries. With the IAF’s active squadron strength at just 29, far below the sanctioned 42, the service is facing a widening operational deficit.
The Dubai crash intensifies pressure on policymakers to consider stopgap solutions. Additional Rafale jets from France, renewed attention to the U.S. F-35 platform, or even Russia’s Su-57 — all showcased at the same event — are being examined more seriously. The crash also complicates India’s global sales pitch. HAL recently opened an office in Malaysia to push Tejas exports, and negotiations were underway with several Asian, African and Latin American countries. A highly publicised accident risks injecting hesitation into those discussions.
Geopolitics sharpen the setback. Pakistan displayed its JF-17 Block III fighter at the same show and announced a tentative export deal with a foreign buyer. Equipped with Chinese PL-15E missiles, the JF-17’s presence underscores the competitive environment in which India is marketing Tejas. Rivals may seize this moment to cast doubt on the Indian jet’s reliability and readiness.
Yet experts also caution against reducing the Tejas programme to a single incident. Its development has built critical domestic capabilities in avionics, composite materials, flight control systems and weapons integration — technologies that will underpin India’s future stealth fighter projects, unmanned combat aircraft and broader aerospace ecosystem. The programme’s strategic value remains significant.
Still, the Dubai crash poses an immediate and urgent challenge. India must now restore confidence in the aircraft through transparent investigation, technical reassurances and accelerated improvements in production and performance. Potential buyers and regional competitors will be watching closely, and the IAF cannot afford prolonged disruptions at a time when its squadron strength is already stretched thin.
Whether Tejas can recover its momentum — at home and abroad — will depend on how quickly India addresses the aftermath of this deeply public and symbolic setback.
