The Indian Air Force began the search for a MiG-21 successor in the 1980s. It has been a long journey, but the Tejas fighter first flew in 2001 and the Mark 1 version is operational in two squadrons. Now the improved Mark 1A is almost ready for service, while a further improved Mark 2 is in development.
The Tejas is the smallest/lightest advanced high-performance fighter extant. While the Indians aimed to use a locally developed powerplant, in the end they selected the General Electric F404 as used by the new USAF T-7A trainer and the SAAB Gripen fighter (and in pairs by early F-18 Hornets). The Mark 2 is scheduled to use the more powerful GE F414 as used by the F-18 Super Hornet.
The original intent was also to develop a carrier-capable variant for the Indian Navy; the Navy has now decided to buy a twin-engine fighter for that application. The delta wing layout is also not ideal for the demanding low-speed characteristics desirable in a carrier aircraft.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HAL_Tejas