India’s AMCA takes the private sector route: Success imperative for India’s defence

In a historic move, three private players have been shortlisted to build India’s first fifth-generation fighter, the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA). The Rs 15,000 crore project will see the winning private partner build five prototypes of the very modern jet at a new Greenfield facility in Andhra Pradesh. The government has issued the request for proposal (RFP) to the three private players: Tata Advanced Systems, the L&T-BEL-Dynamatic consortium, and the Bharat Forge-BEML-Data Patterns consortium. For the first time, for a major fighter jet programme, the Defence Ministry has kept out state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL). It is hoped that, free from bureaucratic control and with the ability to bring in the latest technologies and industrial best practices, the project will benefit from faster development. It should also strengthen India’s push for self-reliance in cutting-edge aerospace technology.

China already has over 350 J-20 fifth-generation fighters and will have 1,500 by 2035. It is ready to export the second fifth-generation fighter, the J-35. China is also the first country to test-fly two sixth-generation fighters. With Pakistan likely to get the Chinese J-35 in the near future, India has to put the whole nation behind the AMCA. Pakistan, a country in economic and political turmoil and de facto run by the military, acquiring a fifth-generation aircraft before the fastest-growing large economy, India, could change the air combat dynamics in the region. Therefore, the urgency for AMCA.

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HAL has its hands full with orders for 280 LCA Mk1A aircraft and likely nearly 200 LCA Mk2 aircraft in the long run. It also has to produce over 1,000 helicopters of many types and is working on the Indian Regional Medium Helicopter (IMRH). HAL has a lot of work in hand for the IJT and HTT-40 trainers that are running behind schedule. In the past, there have been production quality issues and long delays in many projects. India’s private sector has come of age in aero-structures and sub-systems manufactured for major global platforms. The case in point is the rollout of the made-in-India Airbus C-295 by Tata Advanced Systems. Keeping all this in mind, it was a well-informed decision to let the private sector take on the AMCA.

The Proposal

The ADA and DRDO issued an expression of interest for the stealth fighter jet project in mid-2025, and seven players submitted bids. After technical evaluation in February, the three private players were shortlisted. The government is fully funding the Rs 15,000 crore project to build the AMCA prototype. The winning private partner will, however, have to work with the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) under the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) in building five flying prototypes and one structural test aircraft. This work will be done at the new 650-acre facility in Andhra Pradesh’s Puttaparthi.

The companies have two to three months to submit detailed bids. The technical and commercial bids will be evaluated and the contract awarded around January-March 2027, with the first prototype flight expected between 2028 and 2032. It may enter service after 2035, with series production at the new facility. Only then will India join the select club of fifth-generation fighter manufacturers: the US (F-22 and F-35), China (J-20 and J-35), and Russia (Su-57). Even Turkey is ahead and is flight-testing the TAI Kaan.

AMCA Aircraft Evolves

The AMCA is likely to be a single-seat, twin-engine jet with advanced stealth coatings and internal weapons bays. The aircraft is being developed for the Indian Air Force (IAF) and the Indian Navy. The aircraft is being designed by ADA. The AMCA is intended to perform a multitude of missions, including air superiority, ground strike, suppression of enemy air defences (SEAD), and electronic warfare missions. It is intended to supplant the Sukhoi Su-30MKI air superiority fighter, which forms the backbone of the IAF fighter fleet. The AMCA design is optimised for a low radar cross-section and supercruise capability.

The AMCA programme was launched in 2010, immediately after the IAF issued an Air Staff Qualitative Requirement (ASQR). At the time, the first flight was expected around 2017. A scaled-down 1:8 model of the AMCA was displayed at Aero India 2013. Today, it is a 25-tonne-class fighter. The Project Definition and Preliminary Design phase was completed by February 2014 and was followed by the Engineering Technology and Manufacturing Development phase. At Aero India 2015, the basic design configuration of the AMCA was finalised. Major technologies under development at the time were stealth, thrust vectoring and supercruise. The design was accepted by the IAF in 2016.

The design work was completed in 2023, and approval for the Rs 15,803 crore ($1.6 billion) project for prototype development was received from the CCS in March 2024. A total of five prototypes were to be built. The first flight was expected in late 2028. The first three prototypes will carry out developmental flight trials, whereas the next two will focus on weapon trials. The prototypes will be rolled out at intervals of eight to nine months.

AMCA Capabilities

The AMCA design has inherent radar stealth, achieved through a twin-tail layout, platform edge alignment and serration, body-conformal antennas and a low-intercept radar, a diverterless supersonic inlet with serpentine ducts that conceal engine fan blades, an internal weapons bay, and extensive use of composites in the airframe (40 per cent).

The AMCA is expected to have distributed passive sensors with artificial intelligence-assisted multi-sensor data fusion to increase situational awareness and to work in tandem with the advanced electronic warfare suite on board. The AMCA will have a glass cockpit equipped with a wide panoramic touchscreen display for enhanced man-machine interaction, a multifunction display (MFD) placed in portrait orientation, and a wide-angle holographic head-up display. The AMCA will have a hands-on-throttle-and-stick arrangement, with the right hand on the stick and the left hand on the throttle settings, to ease pilot workload.

The AMCA will feature an internal weapons bay for carrying missiles and stand-off precision-guided munitions in a stealthy configuration and will also be capable of mounting ordnance on external hardpoints for non-stealthy missions. Directed-energy weapons are also planned for the AMCA. It is expected to have an operational ceiling of 65,000 feet and carry 1,500 kg of weapons in internal bays, with a further 5,500 kg externally. It will initially be powered by two modified GE F414 afterburning turbofans. Maximum speed will be Mach 1.8. Range will be 3,240 km, and combat range will be 1,620 km.

The aircraft will have an internal gun (23 mm GSh-23 cannon), Astra missile variants, close-combat missiles, air-to-ground missiles, BrahMos NG, and Rudram variants. It will carry a variety of laser-guided and precision-guided munitions.

Private Sector in Defence

India has a great industrial base and significant defence equipment demand, allowing the advantage of scale. Among the airborne systems projects, Tata Advanced Systems (TASL) has been manufacturing the AH-64 Apache combat helicopter fuselage. It is also producing aero-structures for Boeing’s CH-47 Chinook helicopters. Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin company, also relies on TASL in Hyderabad, India, as the manufacturing base for its global supply of cabin aero-structures for the S-92 helicopter. Lockheed Martin Aero-structures (TLMAL), a joint venture between TASL and Lockheed Martin, produces 24 C-130 empennages annually. All C-130Js delivered to customers around the world have major aero-structure components from India. The Tata Group is working with GE to manufacture CFM International LEAP engine components in India. Lockheed Martin selected TASL to produce F-16 wings in India. The Adani-Elbit joint venture will manufacture Hermes 900 UAVs in India.

In 2012, Centum Group, a Bengaluru-based defence electronics company, was selected to supply products to French defence solutions provider Thales. It is now cleared to supply directly to any of the 70-plus Thales sub-groups. Tata Power Strategic Engineering Division (SED) has secured orders for the Akash Air Force Launcher for the Indian Air Force. The Mahindra Group bagged a large aero-components production contract to manufacture a variety of metallic components for several Airbus aircraft. Embraer and the Mahindra Group have formed a strategic alliance to introduce the C-390 Millennium military transport aircraft to the IAF. Bharat Forge Limited, the flagship company of the Kalyani Group, has rapidly expanded its footprint in the aerospace sector by manufacturing critical, high-precision components and developing indigenous propulsion systems for both civil aviation and defence.

Several small companies have acquired advanced technological capabilities. Dynamatic Technologies manufactures assemblies of vertical fins for Sukhoi Su-30MKI fighters. Samtel Electronics manufactures Su-30 head-up displays and other electronics. Indian companies have a global opportunity not only because of cheaper skilled labour but also because they have developed the ability to manufacture accurately to specifications, particularly in aerospace, metalworking and electronics.

An estimated 24,000 MSMEs are currently involved in the defence supply chain, and the contribution of private players in the defence sector has steadily grown over the years, with more than 460 licences issued so far to private companies.

Industry Partnership Model

The government shifted to an “industry partnership model” instead of the initial plan for a special purpose vehicle (SPV). These changes were made to avoid any further delays following setbacks arising from development funding and the lack of clearance from the US government for licence production of engines. The private sector partner would be responsible for the development, production and lifetime maintenance of the jet.

On 27 May 2025, the Defence Ministry cleared the “Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft Programme Execution Model”, under which ADA would issue an Expression of Interest (EoI) to develop the AMCA through an industry partnership. Under this model, private or public sector companies can bid either as independent entities, as consortia or in joint ventures for the contract.

Meanwhile, private companies had argued that it was difficult to compete against HAL since the government had heavily invested in HAL’s infrastructure over the years, while they would have to develop everything from scratch. They also maintained that the technical parameters should be designed to enable equitable competition. The ministry, however, assured them that most of the infrastructure necessary for prototype development would be provided by ADA.

On 2 February 2026, the Defence Secretary announced that three contenders had been shortlisted for the programme. The RFP was expected to be issued within three months. Finally, the consortia led by TASL, Bharat Forge and L&T were shortlisted for the project after their technical bids were evaluated. HAL, which had submitted its bid with two smaller companies, was eliminated. The shortlisted contenders will now submit their commercial bids. The contract will be awarded to the lowest bidder within three months.

The request for proposal (RfP) was issued on 27 May 2026. This includes detailed techno-commercial bids from the shortlisted industry teams for the development and production of the aircraft. The final decision is expected to be based on a lowest-cost or L1 basis rather than a quality-and-cost-based system (QCBS). Under this system, once the bidders qualify on the minimum technical requirements, cost will be the deciding factor.

Production at Puttaparthi

In May 2025, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, during a meeting with Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, pitched for a proposed defence industrial corridor in the state. The plan included the transfer of a proposed 10,000 acres (40 km²) of land at the Lepakshi-Madakasira hub, an hour away from Bengaluru Airport.

In early May 2026, the Andhra Pradesh Cabinet cleared the transfer, free of cost, of 600 acres of land at Puttaparthi Airport in Sri Sathya Sai district to DRDO for the AMCA project. An ADA team had already conducted an inspection of the land parcel and declared it suitable.

The systems design, testing and assembly of AMCA prototype modules will be undertaken at the Bengaluru-based ADA facility and then transferred to the new Andhra Pradesh facility, which will host a dedicated flight-testing complex, a residential township for scientists, and an assembly line. The site was chosen because of its “easier airstrip access” and “streamlined airspace coordination”.

The Union Government will extend the runway to a length of 9,800 ft (3 km), establish a dedicated local flying zone at Puttaparthi, and facilitate the setting up of more advanced ATC tower systems, military navigation aids and meteorological support facilities.

On 15 May, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh visited Andhra Pradesh and laid the foundation stone for the AMCA’s Core Integration and Flight Testing Centre at Puttaparthi, along with Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu. The Ghatak programme could also use the same facility.

AMCA Engine Development

On 15 July 2023, India and France agreed to collaborate on the joint development of a combat aircraft engine, which would power the AMCA Mark 2 variant as part of the Horizon 2047 roadmap for the India-France strategic partnership. A roadmap for this project was to be prepared between French firm Safran and India’s DRDO before the end of 2023.

Meanwhile, GE Aerospace and HAL are to jointly produce the General Electric F414 engine in India for the HAL Tejas Mark 2 and for the first two squadrons of the AMCA.

On 16 February 2026, while reviewing the progress of various projects at GTRE, the Defence Minister announced that the National Aero Engine Mission had been initiated to develop a 120 kN-class indigenous fighter jet engine with France. France (Safran) has also offered 100 per cent intellectual property rights (IPR) for the engine design. The project will take around 10 years. A total of nine prototypes will be developed over a span of 12 years. This strategic project is worth Rs 61,000 crore ($6.4 billion).

Safran had earlier suggested a roadmap that would be synchronised with the developmental timeline of the AMCA. As per estimates, India needs around 250 of these engines in the next decade. While the initial maximum thrust of the engines will be 120 kN, it will gradually be scaled up to 140 kN.

AMCA Success: A Strategic Imperative

The IAF proposes to have seven squadrons (approximately 126 aircraft). The external geostrategic dynamics in the region require the early induction of the AMCA. The nation has to put its full weight behind the project for it to succeed, and that too quickly.

There is also the Russian proposal for the Make-in-India Su-57 fifth-generation fighter with full technology transfer. India cannot afford two separate design and development projects in the country. Any project that could affect the AMCA programme is not good for the country. If at all, India could consider a one-time purchase of about 40 Su-57s as an interim measure. Even if ordered today, the Su-57 will be available only four to five years hence.

The IAF is short of fighter squadrons. The Rafale is a highly advanced 4.5-generation fighter with some stealth features. India could go for the latest F4 and F5 variants of the Rafale. India is already manufacturing Rafale fuselages in India. Dassault has already announced the setting up of an MRO facility for M88 engines, which power the Rafale, in India. The proposal for 114 made-in-India Rafale fighters is moving in parallel. The decision on the Su-57 will have nothing to do with the Rafale purchase. Both requirements are different and will have to move concurrently.

AMCA’s early success is a strategic imperative for India, enhancing its air combat capabilities and reducing reliance on foreign platforms. The AMCA is meant to provide a technological advantage over adversaries and enable India to compete in modern air warfare. The programme aims to boost indigenous aerospace capabilities.

India is still a work in progress in technologies related to aero-engines, AESA radars, EW systems, modern weapons, artificial intelligence (AI) and other advanced avionics, and still has to get its MUM-T “Loyal Wingman” technology right. India needs to put more money on the table and invest in more sixth-generation technologies to be incorporated into the AMCA. It is imperative that India hastens the LCA Mk2 and AMCA programmes.

India must quickly decide on a major private player to be the lead integrator. The integrator must then identify private industries to team up with, as has been done in most programmes around the world. Meeting the projected induction timeline of the AMCA is crucial to address operational gaps and maintain a credible deterrent.

In essence, the AMCA is not just a fighter jet project; it is a national security priority that requires swift and decisive action to maintain India’s aerial dominance and strategic posture. The programme must be monitored at PMO level. The time to get going was yesterday. Let India get its act right now, at least.

(The writer is former Director General, Centre for Air Power Studies. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstpost’s views.)