India’s AMCA Stealth Fighter Programme Likely To Enter Bid Stage Next Month

India’s fifth-generation stealth fighter aircraft programme is expected to enter a major new phase next month, with the government likely to issue the Request for Proposal (RFP) for the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) project to three shortlisted private sector-led consortia, Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh said on Tuesday. The move marks a significant milestone in India’s efforts to build an indigenous stealth combat aircraft and expand private-sector participation in strategic defence manufacturing.

Speaking at a session organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry on “Geostrategy, Supply Chains and Strategic Resilience” in the national capital, Singh said the AMCA selection process had resulted in three competing industry teams. According to officials, the RFP will formally invite detailed commercial and technical bids from the shortlisted groups for the development and eventual production of the advanced fighter jet. Singh described the emergence of multiple industry-led teams as a positive development for India’s aerospace ecosystem.

The three consortia advancing in the programme are led by Larsen & Toubro in partnership with Bharat Electronics Limited and Dynamatic Technologies; Tata Advanced Systems Limited, which has submitted an independent bid; and Bharat Forge, which has partnered with BEML and Data Patterns. Sources said the final selection is expected to follow a lowest-cost or L1 evaluation model once technical requirements are met, rather than a quality-and-cost-based system used in some other defence programmes.

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State-run aerospace manufacturer Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, commonly known as HAL, was reportedly eliminated during the financial evaluation stage. Officials cited concerns over the company’s heavy existing order book, estimated to be several times its annual turnover, as well as delays in delivering the Tejas Mk-1A fighter aircraft programme. The Tejas Mk-1A project is already running more than two years behind schedule, raising questions about HAL’s ability to manage another large-scale high-risk development programme simultaneously.

Singh also signalled a broader shift in India’s defence production policy by indicating that the government may open missile manufacturing to greater private-sector participation. He suggested that technology transfers for certain categories of ballistic missiles could be considered in the future, a field traditionally dominated by state-run Bharat Dynamics Limited. According to Singh, the growing role of missiles in modern conventional warfare has increased the need to diversify manufacturing capabilities beyond a single public-sector entity.

The AMCA programme is regarded as one of India’s most ambitious indigenous defence aviation projects and is intended to provide the Indian Air Force with a twin-engine stealth fighter equipped with advanced avionics, internal weapons bays, and next-generation combat capabilities. Government officials believe the programme could eventually create an additional fighter aircraft production line outside HAL, helping strengthen domestic aerospace manufacturing capacity while encouraging long-term competition and innovation within India’s defence industry.

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