At Aero Tech India 2025 in New Delhi on September 29, 2025, Air Marshal Awadhesh Kumar Bharti underscored the critical urgency for India to fast-track indigenization in defense manufacturing, specifically focusing on military jet engine development to counter the pressing security challenges posed by China. He cautioned that dependency on imported critical components jeopardizes national security and stressed a shift toward rapid innovation and tighter collaboration between the Indian armed forces and domestic defense industries. Highlighting a significant milestone, Bharti pointed to the recent ₹62,370 crore contract signed on September 25, 2025, with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for 97 Tejas MK-1A aircraft featuring 64% indigenous content and substantial new systems integration. The production involves over 100 Indian companies and is expected to generate thousands of jobs. Looking ahead, the focus remains on advancing the TEJAS MK-2 and the cutting-edge Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) programs to fortify India’s air defense capabilities while reducing dependency on foreign technology. Bharti emphasized the need to intensify innovation beyond incremental progress to achieve complete self-reliance in defense manufacturing within defined timelines.