It's not. The DGCA is the Indian equivalent of the FAA and "said" means "ordered" in this context. Further down in the article there is discussion about IndiGo

It's not. The DGCA is the Indian equivalent of the FAA and "said" means "ordered" in this context. Further down in the article there is discussion about IndiGo failing to meet the timetable they were originally given, which is probably the reason for ordering them to take planes out of service when they get new ones: > India originally asked IndiGo to replace all its faulty engines by Jan. 31, but the DGCA said Monday that the airline’s efforts to meet the deadline didn’t “instill enough confidence.” In a meeting with the regulator Monday, IndiGo offered to replace all unmodified engines by January 2021, but the request was denied, one of the people said, adding that the initial deadline remains.