Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has received interest from 28 private sector companies to collaborate on the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA), India’s fifth-generation stealth fighter program. By September 30, a shortlist of up to two partners is anticipated.
The applicant could be a consortium, joint venture, or individual business.
HAL has almost finished evaluating the companies based on their capabilities, financial status, technological competence, and prior experience. HAL is building a consortium in accordance with the Aeronautical Development Agency’s (ADA) requirements.
Due to HAL’s high order book-to-turnover ratio, the ADA’s June EOI required strict financial compliance, which puts the company at a competitive disadvantage and necessitates private partnerships.
Leading companies competing for the partnership include Larsen & Toubro, TATA Advanced Systems, Mahindra Defence, and Adani Defence. With the first prototype anticipated to fly in 2029, complete development planned for 2034, and series production starting in 2035, the chosen consortium will have eight years to manufacture five prototypes and a structural model.
One of India’s most ambitious aerospace projects, the AMCA program was officially approved by the Cabinet Committee on Security last year with a budget of ₹15,000 crore. It is expected to supply the Indian Air Force with six squadrons, or about 120 aircraft, by the middle of the 2030s.
American GE F-414 engines will power the first AMCA MK-1 squadrons, while a new 120 kN-class turbofan engine being jointly developed by French giant Safran and DRDO’s GTRE will power the MK-2 versions.
In order to ensure future self-reliance, the proposed engine collaboration guarantees nine prototypes, a 12-year development cycle, and complete intellectual property rights transfer to India.
With its stealth shaping, internal weapons bays, advanced avionics, sensor fusion, 360° situational awareness, super-cruise capability, and survivability measures against sophisticated Chinese fifth- and sixth-generation fighters like the J-20, J-35, J-36, and J-50, the 25-ton AMCA is being designed as a swing-role fighter.
By dismantling HAL’s long-standing monopoly and encouraging private sector participation in high-end aerospace manufacturing, this competitive execution model represents a fundamental shift in Indian defense industry.
The program is scheduled to scale up at a crucial moment when China is fast fielding stealth platforms and Pakistan is investigating J-35 acquisitions. The consortium agreement is scheduled to be finalized this week, and ADA will then go through an RfQ process for prototype work.
Maintaining India’s regional air power parity and securing the IAF’s modernization strategy over the upcoming ten years will depend on the AMCA being delivered on time, especially by meeting its 2029 first flight and 2034 certification goals.
