Not necesarry, Geo strategic equation is a funny game. Dependency is never fruitful, no matter how close your ally is. Case and point dassault/argentina, US/Pak etc.
say if we had a top notch kaveri, wouldn't we be in a better state...
There are two things to learn from pakistan and china in this context... Co-production, which we never did with russia, or UK and buying complete design rights like china did vis-a-vis SU27. No matter what opinion you hold of JF17's PAF can produce as many as they like when they have complete lines. If India makes 273rd MKI we have to pay the russians.
Here's the problem that comes with that..
We are also limited by the Chinese.. what they accomplish.. is usually not much more beyond that we can do.
Sure, purchases like the Erieye.. adding NATO spec encrypted radios and datalinks.. and excellent C4I networks is one thing.
But if you can get the equipment that you want.. you would not want to do it.
The JF-17 is an excellent piece of machine.. but at the end of the day.. It will never be what the PAF wants completely out for itself. The J-10 is a great aircraft..
But the aircraft the PAF truly fell in love with.. the EF and Rafale.. well you know.
And that it could not have because of both diplomacy and simple economic limitations.
The PAF is not limited by vision... its limited by the vision of its sister force and that of the forces running the country.
So it may have ideas thirty years ahead of the IAF.. as long as it cannot implement them..
As long as it cannot get something of the type the J-31 is .. today... its prowess counts a lot less.
They can co-produce.. reduce dependency .. on everybody else..
Iran has all of that.. but we all know where Iran stands.
In the end, its about the level of knowledge and information.
The Jf-17 is knowledge.. the Rafale is Information..
The PAF right now in terms of co-production may have better knowledge than HAL as a hypothesis.. but if HAL is able to gain much better information now.. and use that to build up knowledge.. then it leaves the equation imbalanced again.
The PAF's knowledge will come slow.. and its limited by what it gain out of China..
So while knowledge takes time to build and offers a stronger foundation..
Information has the ability to crack that knowledge foundation if its still in the brick and mortar stage.