**Summary:**
On May 30, 2025, VEM Technologies, a private Indian company, delivered the first center fuselage assembly for the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas Mk 1A to Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). This event marks a significant step towards indigenous defense manufacturing and the establishment of a fourth production line for the LCA Mk1A, supplementing existing lines at HAL-Bengaluru and HAL-Nashik. The partnership between HAL and private sector companies like VEM Technologies is crucial to accelerating LCA Mk 1A production and ensuring timely deliveries to the Indian Air Force. HAL is actively supporting private partners through technical know-how and resources, fostering a national aerospace ecosystem. This initiative aligns with the Aatmanirbhar Bharat vision, with HAL partnering with over 6,300 Indian vendors, including numerous MSMEs, and placing substantial orders to promote indigenization and a robust domestic supply chain.
Key Entities Referenced
Ministry of Defence: The government ministry responsible for defence.
LCA Tejas Mk 1A: Light Combat Aircraft Tejas Mark 1A, an indigenous defence project of India.
HAL: Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, an Indian Public Sector Unit involved in aerospace and defence manufacturing.
PIB Delhi: Press Information Bureau, Delhi.
India: The country whose defence manufacturing capabilities are being discussed.
Light Combat Aircraft LCA Tejas Mk1A: A specific type of aircraft being manufactured.
Hindustan Aeronautics Limited HAL: The full name and abbreviation of the aerospace company receiving the fuselage.
Ms VEM Technologies: A private Indian company that manufactured the centre fuselage assembly.
Hyderabad: The city where VEM Technologies is located and where the handover took place.
May 30, 2025: The date of the handover event.
Secretary Defence Production Shri Sanjeev Kumar: An official from the Ministry of Defence.
Chairman Managing Director CMD of HAL, Dr. D. K. Sunil: The head of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited.
LCA Mk 1A: Abbreviated name for the Light Combat Aircraft Tejas Mark 1A.
Public Sector Units: Government owned corporations contributing to defence production.
Armed Forces: The military forces of India.
Indian Air Force: The air force branch of the Indian Armed Forces, the intended recipient of the LCA aircraft.
HALBengaluru: A production facility of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited located in Bengaluru.
HALNashik: A production facility of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited located in Nashik.
LT: Likely refers to Larsen & Toubro, an Indian multinational conglomerate.
Alpha Tocol: A company involved in producing subassemblies for LCA Tejas.
Tata Advanced Systems Ltd TASL: Tata Advanced Systems Limited, a company involved in producing subassemblies for LCA Tejas.
Lakshmi Machine Works LMW: A company involved in producing subassemblies for LCA Tejas.
Aatmanirbhar Bharat: A vision for a self-reliant India, particularly in the aerospace and defence sector.
MSMEs: Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, playing a role in the defence supply chain.
Indian vendors: Suppliers within India that HAL partners with.
Ministry of Defence
First Centre Fuselage for LCA Tejas Mk 1A Handed
Over to HAL
Posted On: 30 MAY 2025 8:16PM by PIB Delhi
In a significant boost to India’s indigenous defence manufacturing capabilities, the first centre fuselage
assembly for the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas Mk1A was handed over to Hindustan Aeronautics
Limited (HAL) by M/s VEM Technologies in Hyderabad on May 30, 2025. The handover took place in the
presence of Secretary (Defence Production) Shri Sanjeev Kumar and Chairman & Managing Director (CMD)
of HAL, Dr. D. K. Sunil. This event marks for the first time a major sub-assembly for the LCA Tejas being
manufactured by a private Indian company.
Speaking on the occasion, Secretary (Defence Production), Shri Sanjeev Kumar hailed the partnership
between HAL and VEM Technologies in accelerating the production of LCA Mk 1A. He said that there is a
significant growth in defence production at a rate of about 10% annually as well as in our defence exports.
This would not have been possible without the support of industries and Public Sector Units like HAL.
Security and sovereignty of the country are paramount and cannot be achieved without own manufacturing
and supply of spare parts which could meet the requirements of the Armed Forces, he added.
CMD, HAL, acknowledged the rapid growth of Tier 1 and MSME suppliers in the production of the LCA
Tejas. The handover marked a significant milestone in establishing a fourth production line for the LCA
Mk1A, in addition to the two existing lines in HAL-Bengaluru and one in HAL-Nashik. He assured that with
major sub-assemblies underway, HAL will increase the production of the LCA aircraft and ensure timely
deliveries to the Indian Air Force.
HAL has built a national aerospace ecosystem by closely supporting private partners and providing critical
inputs such as jigs, fixtures, tools, and technical know-how. This has enabled companies like L&T, Alpha
Tocol, Tata Advanced Systems Ltd (TASL), VEM Technologies, and Lakshmi Machine Works (LMW) to
produce complex sub-assemblies such as centre fuselages, fuel drop tanks, pylons, rear fuselages, wings, fins,
rudders, and air intakes.
The LCA Tejas Division has already received structural modules of air intake assemblies, rear fuselage
assemblies, loom assemblies, and fin and rudder assemblies in the Mk1A configuration. HAL plans to extend
this outsourcing model to future projects, reinforcing its in-house capacity with the expertise of Indian
industry.
In line with the vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat, HAL continues to drive indigenisation efforts in the aerospace
and defence sector. HAL has partnered with over 6,300 Indian vendors, including 2,448 MSMEs, supporting
thousands of skilled jobs and contributing to a robust domestic supply chain. In the last three years, HAL has
placed orders worth Rs 13,763 crore with Indian vendors and is actively pursuing the indigenisation of
complex aircraft systems and critical components across platforms.***
VK/SR/GC/KB
(Release ID: 2132890)