New Delhi: India's Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday announced that he will visit Kochi and Bengaluru to attend a series of official programmes, including a major ceremony to hand over indigenously developed aircraft and helicopters to the Indian Air Force (IAF) and Pawan Hans Ltd.
In a post on social media platform X, the Defence Minister outlined his itinerary, stating that he will begin his day in Keralam before heading to Karnataka for defence-related engagements.
Later in the evening, the Defence Minister will travel to Bengaluru, where he will preside over a key handing-over ceremony highlighting India's indigenous aerospace capabilities.
Today, 18th September, I shall be visiting Kochi and Bengaluru. In Kochi (Keralam), I shall be attending the inaugural ceremony of an event organised by ‘Janmabhumi’.
— Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) September 18, 2026
Later in the evening, I will be in Bengaluru (Karnataka) to attend the Handing Over ceremony of LCA Tejas FOC…
"Later in the evening, I will be in Bengaluru (Karnataka) to attend the handing-over ceremony of LCA Tejas FOC Twin Seater Trainers & HTT 40 Basic Trainer Aircraft to the Indian Air Force and Dhruv NG helicopters to Pawan Hans Ltd. Looking forward to it," he added.
The handover marks an important milestone in the country's self-reliance journey, as the event will highlight the role being played by HAL and its industry partners in strengthening the domestic aerospace ecosystem. It will also demonstrate the industry's expanding capability to design, develop and manufacture advanced platforms for both civil and military applications.
Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal AP Singh, regulatory agencies and stakeholders from the aerospace and defence sectors will be present on the occasion.
The government has accorded high priority to promoting indigenous design, development and manufacturing in the aerospace and defence sectors. The induction of these platforms is another step towards strengthening indigenous capabilities and reducing dependence on foreign sources.
The two incoming trainers are built to the Final Operational Clearance (FOC) standard. The complete Mk1 fleet consists of 16 Initial Operational Clearance (IOC) fighters, 16 FOC fighters and eight twin-seat trainers.
LCA Mk1A is the most advanced version of the LCA Tejas. It is equipped with AESA Radar, an EW suite consisting of radar warning and self-protection jamming, Digital Map Generator (DMG), Smart Multi-function Displays (SMFD), Combined Interrogator and Transponder (CIT), Advanced Radio Altimeter and other advanced features.
LCA Tejas is a 4.5-generation, all-weather, multi-role fighter aircraft. The aircraft is designed to be a multi-role aircraft capable of undertaking offensive air support, close combat and ground attack roles. It is also designed to undertake ground maritime operations.
