With up to 28 private sector companies showing interest in collaborating with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), India’s aspirations to develop its first domestically produced fifth-generation stealth fighter, the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA), have gained significant momentum.
Nearly all of India’s largest private companies, including the Mahindra Group, Adani Defence, Larsen & Toubro, and Tata Advanced Systems, have publicly come forward, according to a top HAL official. HAL has now established a high-level committee to assess applicants and will ultimately choose one or two strategic partners to join a consortium in order to reply to the Expressions of Interest (EOI) from the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA), which are due on September 30.
Despite HAL’s decades of experience in aircraft manufacturing, the Ministry of Defence’s execution model requires the private sector to be involved in order to spread risk, create an industrial ecosystem, and shorten timetables.
The EOI requirements have presented difficulties for the state-owned behemoth, according to HAL Chairman DK Sunil. For example, under the scoring matrix, companies with order books larger than three times their turnover receive zero marks; this disadvantages HAL, where the ratio is about 8:1. To maintain India’s stealth fighter program on track, HAL is nevertheless moving forward with private partnerships.
Within an aggressive eight-year timeframe, the combined consortium will have to prove its abilities in prototype development, flight testing, and production line setup for the AMCA. With the new paradigm, private enterprises are likely to play a key role in one of India’s most important defense projects, breaking away from HAL’s monopoly. The government’s overarching objective of encouraging independence and worldwide competitiveness in the aerospace industry is reflected in this change.
The AMCA will function in two different ways. To reduce radar signature, it will store up to 1.5 tons of armaments in its interior bays when in stealth mode. External hard points enable up to 5 tons of payload to be carried in non-stealth mode for missions when stealth is not a top priority. For India’s varied mission profiles, which range from air superiority to deep strike missions, this dual configuration offers the flexibility that is crucial.
The AMCA will have two operational types. The F414-INS6 turbofans from GE will power the MK-1 variant initially, offering the demonstrated dependability required to start the program. However, the MK-2 version would have a domestic 120-kilonewton engine that was jointly developed by India’s Gas Turbine Research Establishment (GTRE) and France’s Safran.
Nine prototypes will be built over the course of 12 years as part of this Indo-French engine effort, which is valued at over ₹610 billion, with complete technology transfer to India. If this engine project is completed successfully, it will be one of India’s largest defense propulsion innovations since the ambitious but unsuccessful Kaveri engine project.
The AMCA’s first prototype is expected to launch by 2029, with flight testing to follow over the next five years, according to the current schedule. It is anticipated that development will be completed by 2034, and induction into the Indian Air Force would take place in 2035. The IAF plans to operate six squadrons—or about 120 AMCA fighters—with the first two squadrons comprising MK-1 variants and the remaining four transitioning to the more powerful MK-2.
Regional military changes are a major factor driving India’s transition to stealth combat aircraft. In addition to developing its carrier-based J-35 project and operating a sizable number of J-20 stealth fighters, China is also conducting test flights of sixth-generation aircraft such as the J-36 and J-50. Meanwhile, it has been stated that Pakistan is thinking about introducing the Chinese J-35. In contrast, India is just now beginning to build the AMCA prototype. A significant milestone was reached in 2023 when the Cabinet Committee on Security approved ₹150 billion for design and prototype work, guaranteeing the cash and political will needed to advance the program.
Beyond its battlefield role, the AMCA represents India’s strategic ambition to reduce dependency on imports and emerge as a hub of advanced aerospace design and manufacturing. The program embodies a consolidation of HAL’s manufacturing expertise, ADA’s design capability, DRDO’s R&D, and the private sector’s resources. If executed on schedule, the AMCA could provide India with a fifth-generation fighter made largely on home soil while simultaneously creating a broader technological ecosystem in avionics, propulsion, materials, and stealth science.
The AMCA is a force for profound industrial change, not just a fighting platform. India is creating the groundwork for a globally competitive aerospace industry by integrating private companies into the production of combat aircraft. The successful completion of this project would be a turning point for a nation that has long been criticized for being the world’s largest importer of weapons, fostering both military prowess and strategic autonomy.
