NEW DELHI, May 27 — In a significant step toward self-reliance in defence manufacturing, India has invited bids to build a prototype of its fifth-generation stealth fighter jet, marking the first time a private company will be allowed to participate in such a critical technology development programme.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has approved the execution model for the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA), a next-generation fighter under development by the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA), an arm of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). The Ministry of Defence (MoD) confirmed that the programme will be carried out in partnership with Indian industry.
“This approach gives equal opportunity to both public and private sector players on a competitive basis,” the MoD said. “Bidders can participate independently, form joint ventures, or collaborate as consortia — provided they are Indian entities compliant with national regulations.”
The AMCA programme, described by officials as a “major stride toward Aatmanirbharta (self-reliance)” in aerospace technology, aims to harness domestic industrial capacity and expertise. The ADA is expected to issue an Expression of Interest (EoI) shortly to formally begin the development phase.
The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, had approved the AMCA project in March last year. With a budget of ₹15,000 crore, the project covers the design and prototype development of the aircraft, which will eventually be built in two variants.
The first version, AMCA Mark 1, will be powered by a General Electric F414 engine with 98 kilonewtons (kN) of thrust. A more advanced Mark 2 version will feature a 110 kN engine under indigenous development, with potential partnerships being explored with Safran (France), GE (USA), and Rolls-Royce (UK).
The Indian Air Force plans to induct seven squadrons of the AMCA — each squadron comprising 18 jets. Of these, two squadrons will be the Mark 1 variant, while the remaining five will be upgraded Mark 2 versions.
Designed to feature internal and external weapons capability, cutting-edge avionics, and an indigenous Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar, the AMCA will place India among a small group of nations with fifth-generation fighter technology. Currently, only the United States, Russia, and China have operational fifth-gen aircraft — the F-22 Raptor, Sukhoi Su-57, and Chengdu J-20, respectively.
Industry observers see the AMCA bidding process as a landmark opportunity for private defence companies to shape India’s future airpower capabilities.
