India's next formative step is to initiate the development of a next-gen Adaptive Cycle Engine (pictured), which can automatically switch between high-thrust and high-efficiency modes

India’s ambitious Indo-French fighter jet engine program, worth over ₹20,000 crore, is edging closer to final approval by the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Two rounds of bureaucratic clearances remain before the proposal reaches the CCS, marking the culmination of extended inter-ministerial coordination.

The in-principle decision to partner with French aerospace giant Safran for the co-development of an advanced fighter jet engine has already been taken. However, intra-defence ministry and inter-ministerial approvals — including from the Indian Air Force (IAF), Ministry of Finance, and the National Security Council Secretariat — are awaited. The formal paperwork is now being processed within the government.

Two main rounds of clearances remain before the proposal can be sent to the CCS, which is headed by the Prime Minister.

The Defence Research and Development Organisation’s Gas Turbine Research Establishment (DRDO‑GTRE), in collaboration with France’s Safran, has already received approval at the ministerial level following a high‑level meeting chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. Officials from the Ministry of Defence, Indian Air Force (IAF) and DRDO participated in the review, endorsing the technical and operational roadmap for the advanced powerplant.

Sources indicate that the file is presently with the IAF for its operational and technical endorsement, as the service will be the end user, which will issue its formal “go‑ahead” based on operational suitability and design maturity parameters.

Once this clearance is in place, the engine case will move to the inter‑ministerial stage for financial and strategic evaluation. The Ministry of Finance and the National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS), headed by National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, will scrutinise budgetary, technology‑sharing, and industrial security aspects before the project is presented to the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS).

Only two rounds of clearances now remain before the engine programme reaches the CCS, likely before the end of this year. The process, although largely procedural, involves detailed documentation and alignment across defence, finance and national security agencies.

Once sanctioned, this co‑development project will formally initiate India’s first indigenous fifth‑generation turbofan engine effort, paving the way for integration with advanced Indian combat platforms such as the AMCA and future Tejas variants.

The project, with strategic implications extending beyond aeronautical self-reliance, aims to create a fully Indian‑controlled engine ecosystem, with concurrent technology transfer for single‑crystal turbine blades, FADEC systems, and high‑temperature alloys. The approval from the CCS will mark a defining milestone in India’s goal of achieving self‑reliance in combat aircraft propulsion within the coming decade.

IDN (With Agency Inputs)