The Ministry of Defence on Thursday placed a Rs 13,500 crore order to buy 12 Su-30MKI fighter jets with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) in a major boost to the Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative of the government.

“The aircraft would have an indigenous content of 62.6 per cent, enhanced due to indigenisation of many components to be manufactured by the Indian defence industry,” according to a Defence Ministry statement.

An official said that these aircraft will be manufactured at Nasik division of HAL. The supply of these aircraft would enhance the operational capability of the Indian Air Force and strengthen the defence preparedness of the country.

The Sukhoi Su-30MKI is a two-seater, twinjet, multirole air superiority fighter developed by Russian manufacturer Sukhoi and built under license by HAL for the Indian Air Force. A variant of the Sukhoi Su-30, the MKI is a heavy, all-weather, long-range fighter.

The announcement comes close on the heels of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh's visit to Moscow, where he met Russian President Vladimir Putin and other top officials to further strengthen defence ties between the two countries.

In September, the defence ministry signed a Rs 26,000-crore contract with HAL for advanced engines for Su-30MKI planes. These aero engines will be produced by the Koraput division of HAL. The engines will meet the needs of the Indian Air Force to sustain the operational capability of the Su-30 fleet.

The central government’s policy of boosting defence production as part of the drive towards an Aatmanirbhar Bharat is increasingly reflected in the rising order books of the country’s defence equipment manufacturing companies and underlines a positive outlook for the sector ahead.

Public sector giant Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), which caters mainly to the Indian Air Force, is also poised for a bigger leap in technology as India and the U.S. are ready to sign an agreement for the manufacture of advanced GE engines for military planes at HAL’s facilities.

Driven by strategic government policies, India’s defence production has shot up to an unprecedented ₹1.27 lakh crore in FY 2023-24. This represents a massive increase of approximately 174 per cent from ₹46,429 crore in 2014-15, according to official figures.

Historically, India relied heavily on foreign countries for its defence needs, with about 65-70 per cent of defence equipment being imported. However, this landscape has dramatically shifted, with around 65 per cent of defence equipment now manufactured within India.