India's Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) has granted private defence contractors an additional two months to submit their proposals for the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) project.
Through a third corrigendum issued on August 27, 2026, the deadline for bid submissions has been extended from August 27 to October 30. Consequently, the bids will now be opened on October 31 instead of the previously scheduled date in August.
The official tender, overseen by the Department of Defence Research and Development, represents a straightforward schedule adjustment rather than a fundamental change to the programme's core requirements.
While the procurement portal had already recorded previous modifications to the Request for Proposal (RFP), this latest notice strictly alters the submission calendar to accommodate the complex bidding process.
This extension is crucial due to the immense scale of the project, which involves manufacturing a sophisticated fifth-generation fighter jet.
The ADA issued the initial RFP in May 2026 to three major private-sector competitors, notably excluding state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) from the prototype manufacturing role.
The shortlisted contenders include Tata Advanced Systems bidding independently, a consortium of Larsen & Toubro (L&T) and Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), and a third group led by Bharat Forge alongside BEML and Data Patterns.
The winning bidder will be required to establish a brand-new company dedicated to building the prototypes, while the ADA will retain full authority over the aircraft's design. The selected partner will also be responsible for manufacturing one structural test specimen.
The timeline for this tender has experienced multiple shifts since May, moving from an initial July target to late August, and now to late October.
A two-month extension is significant and typically occurs in large-scale aerospace projects when bidding groups need more time to finalise partnership agreements, calculate the costs for producing multiple prototypes, and review updated technical documents.
It also provides the ADA with additional time to process earlier adjustments made to the technical requirements.
Although the competing companies—including Tata Advanced Systems, L&T, BEL, Bharat Forge, BEML, and Data Patterns—had already prepared or submitted initial documentation, the extension allows them an opportunity to refine their calculations and submit more competitive and improved bids.
The AMCA represents India's ambitious effort to indigenously develop a twin-engine, radar-evading stealth fighter.
The project previously received critical approval from the Cabinet Committee on Security in March 2024, unlocking a budget of approximately Rs 15,000 crore for the prototype development phase.
The upcoming contract will encompass the manufacturing of five flying prototypes, complex systems integration, and extensive flight testing.
If the ADA can swiftly evaluate the proposals after the October deadline, a final contract could still be awarded by early 2027.
This timeline keeps the programme on track for the aircraft's maiden flight, which is anticipated around the end of the decade.
