&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "India unveils AMCA project, opens fighter jet manufacturing to 3 private players: What's more on list")
In a landmark development for India's defence industry, the government on Wednesday (May 27) issued the request for proposal (RFP) for the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft, or AMCA, the first homegrown fifth-generation stealth fighter of the country. In a first for a major fighter aircraft programme, the Defence Ministry has excluded state-run Hindustan Aeronautics Limited and instead invited three private-sector contenders: Tata Advanced Systems, the L&T-BEL-Dynamatic consortium, and the Bharat Forge-BEML-Data Patterns consortium.
Under the Rs 15,000 crore project, the selected private partner will manufacture five prototypes of the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) at a newly planned greenfield facility in Andhra Pradesh. The move marks a significant milestone by opening fighter jet production to India’s private sector, aiming to speed up development while boosting the country’s self-reliance in advanced aerospace technology.
AMCA prototype programme
The government will entirely finance the Rs 15,000 crore AMCA prototype programme. However, the chosen private company will collaborate with the Aeronautical Development Agency under DRDO to develop five flying prototypes along with one structural test aircraft. The work will take place at a new 650-acre facility in Puttaparthi, Andhra Pradesh.
The Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) and Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) had floated an expression of interest for the stealth fighter jet programme in mid-2025, attracting bids from seven participants. Following a technical assessment conducted in February, three private-sector contenders were shortlisted.
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The shortlisted firms now have two to three months to submit comprehensive proposals. The final ‘L1’ bidder selection and contract award are likely to be completed between January and March 2027, while the first prototype flight is expected sometime between 2028 and 2032. The aircraft could enter operational service after 2035, with mass production planned at the new facility.
