The Committee on Public Undertakings’ Twenty-Sixth Report, tabled in Parliament on December 11-12, 2025, flags chronic delays in HAL’s Rs 441.41 crore gas turbine engine program since 2018, targeting a 25 kN turbofan for Intermediate Jet Trainers and a turboshaft for helicopters. Procurement bottlenecks, delayed test-bed approvals, and three-year land clearance lags have stalled Stage II, forcing HAL to write off Rs 159.23 crore. Chaired by Baijayant Panda, the panel slams MoD’s interim responses lacking timelines, urging swift infrastructure and a gap analysis to bolster Atmanirbhar Bharat. From India’s strategic lens, these lapses erode self-reliance in aero-engines, heightening import risks amid China-Pakistan threats and IAF squadron shortages, demanding urgent MoD-HAL synergy.