The programme aims to strengthen India’s air force, whose fleet has fallen below 30 squadrons
Visitors stand next to a prototype of the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA), India’s most advanced stealth fighter jet, at the “Aero India 2025” air show at Yelahanka air base in Bengaluru, India, February 11, 2025. REUTERS
India has sought initial proposals to locally manufacture a fifth-generation combat aircraft from three short-listed bidders, news agency ANI reported on Wednesday, citing defence officials.
The bidders are Tata Advanced Systems, and joint ventures between Larsen and Toubro-Bharat Electronics and Bharat Forge-BEML — all of them Indian companies.
India approved a programme to build the stealth fighter jets and invited interest for the same from defence firms last year, weeks after a fierce military conflict with nuclear-armed foe Pakistan.
The programme is critical to boost the strength of the Indian Air Force, whose fleet of mostly Russian aircraft has shrunk to below 30 squadrons in recent months, compared to the approved strength of 42.
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The push aligns with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s larger ambition to ramp up local manufacturing and boost its military might to take on threats from both Pakistan and China.
Washington has pitched its advanced F-35 jet to India and Russia has countered that by offering its own fifth-generation Su-57. India has maintained a distance from both offers.
New Delhi has long relied on importing machinery and weapons for its armed forces, but a recent push by Modi has helped boost domestic manufacturing.
India’s defence production hit a record high of 1.54 trillion rupees ($16.09 billion) in the financial year ended March 2025.
In February 2026, India gave initial clearance for a 3.6tr-rupee ($40b) boost to the country’s armed forces, including procurement of more Rafale fighter jets for the air force and Boeing P-8I reconnaissance aircraft for the navy.
The air force’s fighter squadron strength has shrunk to 29 in recent months, well below the 42 it had earlier. Its workhorse MiG-21 was retired in September and other early variants of the MiG-29, the Anglo-French Jaguar and the French Mirage 2000 are also set to end service in the coming years.
