In a major milestone for India's push towards self-reliance in military aerospace, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) has officially released the Request for Proposal (RFP) for the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) programme.
On Wednesday, defence officials confirmed that tenders for the indigenous fifth-generation fighter jet project have been issued to three shortlisted private-sector entities.
The contenders vying to build the aircraft prototypes include Tata Advanced Systems Limited (bidding independently), a consortium comprising Larsen & Toubro (L&T) and Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), and a partnership between Bharat Forge and BEML.
This critical step is the result of the AMCA Programme Execution Model, which Defence Minister Rajnath Singh approved last year to strengthen domestic defence manufacturing capabilities.
Spearheaded by the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA)—a premier laboratory under the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO)—the aircraft's development is structured around strong industry partnerships.
By encouraging a competitive bidding process, this execution strategy ensures that private and public sector companies are given an equal platform to contribute to the nation's most ambitious combat aviation project.
To accelerate the assembly and evaluation of the AMCA and future aerospace platforms, a dedicated Core Integration & Flight Testing Centre is being built in Puttaparthi, Andhra Pradesh, at an estimated cost of Rs 2,000 crore.
On May 15, 2026, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu laid the foundation stone for this vital ADA facility.
The overall budget sanctioned for the AMCA's prototype development phase stands at approximately Rs 15,000 crore.
During the ceremony, the Defence Minister highlighted that Puttaparthi is joining an elite global club of locations capable of launching fifth-generation jets, describing the upcoming fighter as a formidable machine built to neutralize enemy threats in the blink of an eye.
Designed exclusively for the Indian Air Force, the AMCA is envisioned as a twin-engine stealth fighter featuring an internal weapons bay, advanced sensor fusion, and robust network-centric warfare capabilities.
A full-scale model of the jet, branded as a 5.5-generation platform, previously drew widespread attention when it was showcased at the Aero India exhibition in February 2025.
ADA engineers are heavily integrating Artificial Intelligence (AI) into the aircraft's digital architecture, a move expected to significantly streamline the development cycle and elevate the jet's operational superiority in modern combat.
Current project timelines indicate that the first AMCA prototypes are slated for rollout by late 2026 or early 2027, with the maiden flight targeted for 2028 and serial production anticipated by the mid-2030s.
