We are what we are today is because of a reason other than lack of brains or/and resources. Fortunately, seeds for change have been sown and we are progressing on right track. I leave it to that.
Anyway, its too far from Turbofan vs Turboprop debate. So, I am summing up.
We did not select A400 despite the fact that it could have been used as a multirole platform for cargo roles because it's a Turboprop which negatively affects ceiling performance thereby affecting effective radar range. A crucial point for a proper AWACS.