New Delhi: The Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) programme is a landmark initiative by the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) under the Ministry of Defence (MoD), aiming to develop India’s first indigenous fifth-generation stealth multi-role fighter jet. This programme plans to deliver a state-of-the-art aircraft capable of air supremacy, ground strikes, electronic warfare, and suppression of enemy air defences, with serial production targeted by 2035.
The AMCA development has advanced through feasibility and design phases with a detailed design phase completed by 2023. The Cabinet Committee on Security approved a ₹15,000 crore (approximately $1.8 billion) funding package for prototype development in March 2024. The plan includes building five prototypes with the first expected to roll out by late 2026 or early 2027, and the first flight anticipated for 2028. Prototypes will be used across developmental and weapon trials with a target for certification by 2032 and operational induction by 2034.
A key recent development is the adoption of an “Execution Model” where ADA will collaborate closely with industry partners for the programme’s development and production phases. This marks the first time such a strategic fighter aircraft project in India will actively involve private sector companies alongside public sector entities, aiming to create a competitive aerospace and defence industrial ecosystem enabling self-reliance.
By September 2025, seven Indian firms and consortia submitted bids responding to an Expression of Interest (EoI) issued by ADA for prototype development, flight testing, certification, and serial production readiness within eight years. These bidders include key defence industry players such as Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), Larsen & Toubro (L&T), TATA Advanced Systems Ltd (TASL), Adani Defence and Aerospace, Kalyani Strategic Systems, and a consortium led by BrahMos Aerospace Thiruvananthapuram Ltd (BATL) alongside Goodluck India Ltd and Axiscades Technologies.
Each bidder has proposed strategic partnership models reflecting expertise across airframe manufacturing, avionics, propulsion, and systems integration. HAL, for example, proposed a joint venture retaining a 50% stake while bringing in key private partners for various aircraft sections. L&T has allied with Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), leveraging their previous collaboration on the Light Combat Aircraft program, highlighting the high technical standards and industrial capabilities involved in the bidding process.
A specialised high-level committee, chaired by former DRDO missile scientist A Sivathanu Pillai, is tasked with evaluating these bids based on technical prowess, financial viability, and the ability to meet demanding timelines and scale requirements characteristic of a fifth-generation fighter programme. The final selection of two winning consortia is expected by mid-2026, who will then receive funding and responsibility to co-develop the AMCA prototypes, followed by flight tests and eventual production.
The AMCA programme is considered a transformative moment for India’s aerospace industry, signaling a shift from a predominantly state-owned defence manufacturing model towards a competitive, consortium-driven approach involving private sector dynamism. This move is expected to accelerate indigenous capability, reduce import dependencies, and position India prominently in the global fifth-generation fighter landscape amidst regional security pressures.
The Aeronautical Development Agency and the Ministry of Defence are actively in the process of finalising the winning industry partners for the AMCA programme by mid-2026. This decision will determine the consortium responsible for building India’s next-generation stealth fighter, with immense strategic and industrial implications for the country’s defence ecosystem.
