Tejasvi Surya Pilots Indigenous HTT-40 Aircraft at Aero India 2025

The BJP MP highlighted the HTT-40 trainer jet as a milestone in India's journey toward self-reliance in defense manufacturing.

Tejasvi Surya, BJP MP from Bengaluru South, took a 30-minute flight in the HTT-40 trainer aircraft at Aero India 2025 in Bengaluru.
The HTT-40, developed by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), is an indigenously built basic trainer jet showcasing India's advancements in aeronautical engineering.
Surya praised HAL as a symbol of India's aeronautical progress and a source of pride for Bengaluru and the nation.
He criticized the previous UPA government's 2012 decision to procure Swiss Pilatus trainer jets, citing allegations of corruption and its impact on indigenous projects.
Surya credited the Modi government and former Defense Minister Manohar Parrikar for reviving the HTT-40 project, which was completed in a record 40 months.