New Delhi: Defence Ministry on Monday informed the Rajya Sabha that Rs 6,653 Crores have been spent on the manufacturing of 24 Light Combat Aircraft TEJAS which have been delivered to the Indian Air Force so far.

In a written reply to Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for Defence Ajay Bhatt said, "Amount spent so far on the manufacture of 24 TEJAS delivered till 30.09.2021 is Rs 6,653 Crores."

He said as per the contract between the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited and the Indian Air Force, a total of 123 TEJAS fighter aircraft are to be manufactured.

"Further production depends upon requirement for Indian Defence Services/export to customers," he said.

The Minister also said that TEJAS is not being inducted as a replacement of MiG-21 fighter aircrafts, but as a part of modernisation of IAF.

The indigenous TEJAS is a single-seat, single-jet engine, multirole light fighter, which is pitched to be the replacement of MiG-21 aircraft.

Indigenously developed by the Aeronautical Development Agency, and produced by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, TEJAS, as a fourth generation aircraft, can fly at 1,350 km per hour, with a payload capacity of 4,000 kg.