India bids to sell fighter jets to Malaysia

India has offered to sell 18 light-combat aircraft (LCA) "Tejas" to Malaysia, the defence ministry said yesterday, adding that Argentina, Australia, Egypt, the United States, Indonesia, and the Philippines were also interested in the single-engine jet. The Indian government last year gave a $6 billion contract to state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd HIAE.NS for 83 of the locally produced Tejas jets for delivery starting around 2023 - four decades after it was first approved in 1983.