India inducted the HF-24 Marut as its first domestically designed and produced jet fighter, becoming the first Asian country outside Russia to operationally field an indigenous combat jet aircraft.
Developed by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, the project began in 1956 after Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru authorised the development of a Mach 2 multirole fighter aircraft with a 500-mile range. The programme aimed not only to strengthen India’s air power but also to expand the country’s domestic aeronautics industry.
