In this episode of OPEN COLLAR, Major Gaurav Arya is joined by Air Marshal Diptendu Choudhury (Retd.) to unpack India’s shifting air power doctrine amid HAL’s exit from the AMCA programme. They examine why delays in advanced fighter development have forced a strategic reset, how this impacts the Indian Air Force’s future readiness, and what lessons India must draw from China’s rapid aerospace advances and recent conflicts. The conversation explores the move toward aerospace dominance, the role of private industry, engine technology challenges, and the urgent reforms needed to secure India’s air superiority in a fast-changing battlespace.