sancho
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I am judging from its development history. 35 years...
Which is why your judgment is wrong, because it's based not on the right infos. The fact today is, that with the handing over, the IAF has to induct LCA into operational service, the only question is in what technical standard, since THAT is the point that is uncertain so far.
Where you also are mistaken is what was revolutionary, because it's not the integration of foreign parts, but the (stupid) idea to not take them and develop radar, engine and other core parts alone, without any base to start them on. Not even China dared to do something like that (for good reasons and which is why J10 and J17 are successfully developed today), which alone tells you how "revolutionary" or ambitious, as DRDO officials like to call it, the program was.
It worked in some fields, like FBW flight control systems, composite materials, proper 4th gen avionics and EW, but it badly failed at engines and radar. The things you mentioned are only the result of the failed revolutionary parts, but if they had taken these choices from the start, just as China does with Russian engines on all their fighter projects, the LCA program wouldn't had suffered so badly and actually could had been developed in a pretty good time. But the silly focus on "revolutionary" things, was the reasons for the delays, of an otherwise pretty good fighter program.
Bottom line is, yes the program was badly managed, but the fighter will be inducted at least in IOC 2 standard this year and the minute it will be inducted in FOC standard, it will be a pretty decend 4th gen fighter for IAF's low end and offers the base for the Indian aviation industry, which is what the whole program was about.