The Defence Ministry on Wednesday issued the Request for Proposal (RFP) for the ambitious indigenous Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) programme, marking a major step forward in India’s fifth-generation fighter jet project. According to Defence officials, the RFP has been sent to three shortlisted industry consortiums. These include the Larsen and Toubro-Bharat Electronics Limited group, Tata Advanced Systems, and the Bharat Forge-BEML consortium.
The AMCA project is considered one of India’s most important defence aviation programmes. It aims to develop a home-grown fifth-generation stealth fighter aircraft for the Indian Air Force, strengthening the country’s self-reliance in advanced military technology.

The Defence Ministry had in February this year chosen Tata Group, Larsen & Toubro (L&T) and Bharat Forge to develop its fifth-generation fighter aircraft under the Advanced Multirole Combat Aircraft (AMCA) programme.

In a notable decision, state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has not been included in the development of the project.

120 aircraft to be developed in first phase
The government has set aside Rs 15,000 crore for building and developing the AMCA prototypes. However, officials expect the total cost of the programme to rise significantly once it enters full-scale production. As per the current plan, the Indian Air Force (IAF) is likely to induct around 120 aircraft in the initial phase of the AMCA fleet.

The programme roadmap states that prototype development is targeted to be completed by 2030. After this, the first squadron of AMCA jets is expected to join the IAF by 2035.

Rajnath Singh, Chandrababu Naidu launch groundwork for Rs 16,000 cr AMCA project
Earlier this month, Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu launched the groundwork for a major defence infrastructure project in Puttaparthi region of Sri Sathya Sai district. The project is linked to the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) programme.

The initiative, valued at around Rs 16,000 crore, marks a significant step in strengthening India’s defence manufacturing capabilities.

Authorities have said that the project is expected to generate nearly 7,500 jobs. It is also seen as an important move to encourage innovation and growth in the defence production sector.