Jodhpur, Oct. 1 -- Praising India's self-reliance in defence manufacturing, French Air Defence Deputy Commander Julien Sabene commended India's ability to develop, engine, and operate its indigenous Tejas fighter jet.

In an exclusive interview with ANI, Sabene, a former Mirage 2000 pilot, noted that flying alongside the Tejas reminded him of the French delta-wing fighter, Mirage 2000.

"The Tejas, it's new. I like it because it reminds me of the Mirage 2000, which was my aircraft when I was a fighter pilot, an active fighter pilot in the French Air and Space Force," he said.

Speaking on India's growing indigenous capability, he said, "As a sovereign nation, France is like India, and I found it great that India has been able to develop i...