Come on, it is not that easy. Its not like you change a wheel and make it take off from frozen air fields. Do you know why US still has propeller powered transport aircraft? Because these type of aircraft can practically land/take off from anywhere as long as the surface is reasonably flat and hard. Propeller driven aircraft can take off from a cricket-pitch flat plain. Try doing that with a jet powered aircraft and watch it crash.
The Gripen is a jet and yet it can take off/land from unprepared airfields. THAT is a MAJOR plus point in combat situation.
I don't know much about the trials of LCA. What I do know it has yet to be inducted and a second version has to be developed because the first one is obviously not good enough. And yes, the Mk.2 version is still not done.
MMRCA test details are not made public, unless they do I refuse to believe why the Gripen was rejected. The army has time and again refused Indian products that time you accuse the army of corruption. LOL!!
Indian fighters are so perfect that they are still undergoing trials.