Bengaluru South MP takes a sortie in India's fully indigenous trainer jet at Aero India

Bengaluru South MP Tejasvi Surya (BJP) completed a sortie on the HTT-40, India's fully indigenous basic trainer aircraft, at the Aero India 2025 today (Thursday). Soon after his sortie, he reflected on the journey of the making of the HTT-40, saying that India has now moved to self-reliance under Prime Minister Narendra Modi by developing its own fully indigenous Basic Trainer Aircraft.

The HTT-40, developed by the HAL for the Indian Air Force, is a fully aerobatic aircraft, powered by a four-bladed turbo-prop engine, equipped with a state of the art glass cockpit and the latest safety features, including a zero-zero ejection seat. It marks another significant step toward achieving greater self-reliance in defense and aviation, aligning with the PM's vision of ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ by eliminating the dependency on foreign BTAs for pilot training, a statement from Surya said.

"The HTT-40 represents India’s journey from scandal to self-reliance, from foreign dependency to Atmanirbharta," he said, speaking after his sortie.


“Flying the HTT-40 was an incredible experience. This aircraft is a testament to India’s engineering excellence and a shining example of how, with the right policy and support, our scientists and engineers can achieve anything," he said, and added that, “This achievement is dedicated to the late Shri Manohar Parrikar, whose vision for self-reliance in defense was instrumental in reviving the indigenous trainer program."

"The HTT-40 was first inaugurated by him under the guidance of PM Narendra Modi ji and today, it stands as a symbol of India’s transformation in defense manufacturing."

The success of HTT-40 would not have been possible without the relentless efforts of HAL’s chief designers, Suma Prakash and Ramanand, along with an entire team of engineers, scientists, and workers. With HAL now producing low-cost, high-performance combat aircraft, several nations, particularly from the Global South, are showing interest in acquiring Indian-made fighter jets, the MP said.

Pilot Gp Capt Prabhas Awasthi (Retd), Senior flying instructor, Gp Capt NS Murthy (Retd), Dy Chief Flight Test Engineer, Incharge for HTT 40 development and testing, Sri Borlingappa AGM HTT 40 and team of engineers and technicians of Aircraft Research and Development Centre HAL were also present.