• By Shreyansh Mangla
  • Wed, 20 Aug 2025 12:09 PM (IST)
  • Source:JND

HAL Share Price Today: Defence stocks, including those of Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) and Bharat Dynamics Ltd (BDL), saw significant gains today after the government finalised a major deal for the Indian Air Force (IAF) to acquire 97 LCA Tejas Mark 1A fighter jets, valued at Rs 62,000 crore.

Both HAL and BDL share prices saw a rise on Wednesday morning. HAL's stock climbed 3.5 per cent to a day's high of Rs 4,611.60 on the BSE, while BDL's stock rose 1.35 per cent to Rs 1,570.45.

A high-level government meeting gave HAL the green light to begin production of the aircraft. This order, for 97 jets, is the second-largest for the Tejas Mark 1A, surpassing a previous order of 83 jets worth Rs 48,000 crore. With this latest approval, the IAF now has a total of 180 Tejas jets on order to replace its aging Mig-21 fleet.

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The Tejas program is a key step toward India's goal of self-reliance in defence manufacturing. It is a major initiative of the defence ministry and the IAF, and it is also creating job opportunities for small and medium-sised enterprises (SMEs) that are part of the supply chain.

The Tejas program's national importance has been highlighted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who has openly supported the indigenous defence manufacturing sector. He was the first Prime Minister to take a sortie in a Tejas variant, and he later described the experience as a fulfilling one that defines India's defence capabilities.

The latest order is part of a broader increase in defence spending. It coincides with the Defence Acquisition Council's approval of projects worth Rs 1.6 lakh crore, which also includes the purchase of 156 LCH Prachand helicopters and upgrades for 84 Su-30MKI fighters.

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The Tejas jets have been in service in the defence forces since 2016, and are flown by two IAF squads. The new order is expected to form the backbone of the IAF's fighter jet fleet in the coming years. Deliveries of a previous order for 83 jets, valued at Rs 36,468 crore, were originally scheduled to begin in February 2024. However, due to production delays at HAL, the new delivery timeline has been pushed to late 2025 or early 2026.