Nigeria interested in acquiring up to 15 TEJAS MK-1A from India to replace obsolete fleet of Chengdu F-7NI.

Despite a set back in its first endeavour, India is in talks with at least three nations – Nigeria being the latest – for exporting the home-grown combat aircraft TEJAS MK-1, top officials of the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited said here on Thursday.

While discussions with the African nation are at an early stage, the Bangalore-based state-owned aviation major already held talks with Egypt and Argentina, with officials from the Latin American country visiting the HAL facilities earlier this year.

“We are in talks with Nigeria on TEJAS, but it is early days. This is apart from our discussions with Egypt and Argentina that witnessed a change in the government recently,” C B Ananthakrishnan, HAL chairman-cum-managing director told journalists here on the sidelines of a HAL conference on avionics.

Nigeria, Philippines, Argentina and Egypt have shown interest in procuring indigenously-developed TEJAS Light Combat aircraft, CB Ananthakrishnan, the Chairman and Managing Director of the Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd, said on Wednesday. Ananthakrishnan said talks are on with these countries for the possible procurement.

Talks are ongoing, although challenges arise due to UK-sourced components in the aircraft. Amid UK-Argentina tensions, supplying such hardware might pose difficulties. India explores solutions while enhancing defence ties, seen in deals like the Philippines' BrahMos missile procurement. The Tejas, a versatile fighter jet, serves various roles for the Indian Air Force, with ongoing procurement plans for more units.