NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Wednesday that the Union Cabinet's nod to procure 83 indigenously-developed Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas for the Indian Air Force will strengthen the movement to create an 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat' (self-reliant India).

In a major decision aimed at boosting the domestic aerospace industry, India on Wednesday approved a much-awaited deal worth Rs 48,000 crore to procure 83 Tejas for the Indian Air Force.

The decision to procure the fleet was taken at a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) chaired by Modi.

The prime minister tweeted, "Today's Cabinet decision will improve the capabilities of our armed forces, boost the indigenous defence industry and strengthen the movement to create an Aatmanirbhar Bharat."