During a ceremony at Hindustan Aeronautics Limited on 27 September 2024, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh handed over the Tejas twin‑seater trainer aircraft to the Indian Air Force and the Dhruv Next Generation helicopter to Pawan Hans Limited.
Singh criticised the chronic delays plaguing defence R&D, noting that outdated tech often surfaces once projects reach production.
He called for a single ecosystem that merges civil and military aviation needs, arguing that public‑private collaboration must move beyond competition.
The minister outlined a roadmap to embed AI, autonomous systems, and next‑generation propulsion into indigenous programmes, with a target of achieving self‑reliance by 2032.
In a statement, he said the government would convene a joint task force of defence and civil aviation ministries to map milestones and secure funding by the end of the year.
The move follows a series of policy shifts under the Modi administration aimed at reducing imports of critical aerospace components.