The easiest way to bolster the IAF’s numbers and enhance its capabilities is to procure fighters from abroad. Nevertheless, the Indian government has been reluctant to acquire large numbers of foreign aircraft. It famously
canceled the deal to acquire 126 foreign multirole combat aircraft in 2015 and has made little progress on a
similar deal to acquire 114 foreign fighter jets. It has instead emphasized indigenous development and production. Consequently, the Tejas would be best placed to fill the gap in the IAF; however, it is a less-than-perfect fighter in its current avatar. The IAF has long-held
reservations about the capabilities of the Tejas, and its lack of faith in the aircraft is best demonstrated by its decision to
deploy the fighter in Southern India, far from the northern frontiers with Pakistan and China.
This makes it imperative for India to double down on building the Tejas Mark II,
a much-improved version of the Tejas featuring a more powerful engine, longer range, greater payload capacity, superior avionics, and an advanced electronic warfare suite. The Tejas Mark II is being
developed parallel to the AMCA and on a similar timeline, but it is unlikely to face the same issues as the stealth fighter.