India’s Ministry of Defence has formally issued Requests for Proposal (RFPs) for the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) program, requiring the selected private consortium to manufacture five flying prototypes and one structural test specimen.

This marks a historic shift in India’s fighter jet development, moving prototype work outside Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for the first time.

The RFP outlines that the winning bidder will collaborate with the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) under the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) to design, assemble, and integrate the prototypes.

These will serve both flight and system validation purposes, while the structural test specimen will undergo rigorous ground-based stress and fatigue testing to certify the airframe’s durability. The government has fully funded this prototype phase, valued at approximately ₹15,000 crore, underscoring its strategic importance.

Three private-sector-led consortia are competing for the contract. TATA Advanced Systems Limited is bidding independently, while Larsen & Toubro has partnered with Bharat Electronics Limited and Dynamatic Technologies.

The third consortium comprises Bharat Forge, BEML, and Data Patterns. This diversification of industrial participation is intended to strengthen India’s aerospace ecosystem, expand production capacity, and reduce reliance on HAL’s existing infrastructure.

The prototype development and integration work will take place at a new greenfield aerospace facility in Andhra Pradesh, spread across 650 acres. This site, inaugurated earlier this month, is expected to host advanced stealth aircraft assembly, systems integration, and flight testing capabilities.

Officials estimate that the facility will generate employment for nearly 7,500 people, with spill-over benefits across metallurgy, avionics, composites, robotics, and precision manufacturing.

The AMCA is designed as a fifth-generation multirole stealth fighter, incorporating stealth shaping, internal weapons bays, advanced AESA radar, sensor fusion, artificial intelligence-enabled systems, electronic warfare capability, and supercruise performance.

Initially, the aircraft will be powered by the American GE-414 engine, but future variants are expected to use a more powerful 120-kN-class engine jointly developed with France’s Safran. The Indian Air Force plans to induct at least seven squadrons of AMCA aircraft beginning around 2035, with the first prototype rollout targeted for 2027 and maiden flight expected by 2028–2029.

HAL, though excluded from the prototype stage, is expected to compete in the larger production tender once the aircraft completes testing. This dual-track approach ensures that India’s established aerospace expertise is not side-lined, while simultaneously fostering new private-sector-led capabilities.

Defence experts view this as a structural transformation in India’s military aviation manufacturing ecosystem, paving the way for a parallel fighter jet production line beyond HAL.

The program is also expected to create significant employment opportunities and strengthen supply chains through collaboration with academic institutions and small-scale industries.

By opening the door to private industry, the government aims to accelerate timelines, deepen domestic expertise, and align with the Atmanirbhar Bharat vision of defence self-reliance. If executed as planned, the AMCA project will represent not only a technological leap in stealth fighter development but also a landmark in India’s aerospace industrial policy.

IDN (With Agency Inputs)