TATA Advanced Systems Ltd, a consortium of Larsen & Toubro and Bharat Electronics Ltd, and another consortium comprising Bharat Forge, BEML Ltd, and Data Patterns have been shortlisted by the DRDO to design and develop prototypes of the AMCA, India’s first homegrown fifth-generation stealth fighter. The single-seat, twin-engine jet will feature advanced stealth coatings and internal weapons bays, with plans to produce over 125 aircraft for induction into the Indian Air Force by 2035. Once operational, India would join the exclusive group of nations with fifth-generation fighters, alongside the US, China, and Russia.
The DRDO, through the Aeronautical Development Agency, had issued tenders in July 2025. Originally seven consortiums, including Adani Defence and HAL, submitted bids to participate in the AMCA project. The shortlisted firms will receive government funding to develop models of the aircraft, with manufacturing rights to follow once prototypes are finalized. The AMCA is a central component of India’s broader Air Force modernization program, which also includes upgraded weapons and equipment.
In parallel, the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), led by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, recently approved the purchase of 114 Rafale fighter jets from France, with 90 to be manufactured in India with 50% indigenous content. The DAC also cleared the acquisition of six additional P8I maritime surveillance and anti-submarine aircraft from the United States for the Indian Navy. These approvals came ahead of French President Emmanuel Macron’s visit to India between February 17 and 19.
State-owned HAL was disqualified from the AMCA prototype bidding due to a paperwork error, although its CMD DK Sunil confirmed the company will participate in the licensing phase for mass production, even if it is not part of the initial prototype development. The DRDO’s selection of private and consortium partners reflects India’s strategic push to build a self-reliant and technologically advanced air combat capability over the next decade.
