New Delhi has cleared a plan that will allow private sector players to bid to develop the planned Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA).
The plan will see India’s Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) work to develop the fighter through a partnership with the selected bidder, according to the defence ministry.
“The execution model approach provides equal opportunities to both private and public sectors on competitive basis,” says the ministry.
“They can bid either independently or as joint venture or as consortia. The entity/bidder should be an Indian company compliant with the laws and regulations of the country.”
The ADA plans to issue an expression of interest for the AMCA development phase.
The ministry’s decision marks a major turning point for Indian aircraft development. In the past, state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics was the exclusive developer of high profile Indian military aircraft, namely the Tejas Light Combat Aircraft.
Potential bidders are likely to include major defence firms, such as Tata Advanced Systems, which has extensive aerospace experience. Other major players include Adani Defence & Aerospace, Larsen & Toubro Defence, and Reliance Defence.
Though Indian officials have discussed the AMCA for years, it was only in April 2024 that the country’s Cabinet Committee on Security formally approved the initiative, along with Rs158 billion ($1.9 billion) in financial support, which included Rs55 billion from the Indian air force.
The design phase for AMCA ran between 2019-2024, and the formal development effort is to run over 10 years, with five prototypes to be built, and the first production aircraft delivered in 2036.
The aircraft marks India’s first attempt to develop a low observable aircraft and will be powered by two GE Aerospace F414 INS-6 engines.
The air force aims to obtain 120 examples.
