Caption:The development of India’s much-anticipated fifth-generationstealth fighter, the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA), has hitanother hurdle as no private vendor consortium has come forward to submitbids for the project.
According to official sources, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) had invitedbids from Indian private firms to form a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) incollaboration with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and the DefenceResearch and Development Organisation (DRDO). However, the response hasbeen muted, with no consortium filing proposals within the given timeline.
As a result, the government has once again extended the deadline forsubmission, raising fresh questions about private sector readiness,investment appetite, and the future roadmap of India’s most ambitiousindigenous fighter program.
The AMCA, designed to feature advanced stealth, supercruise capability, andnext-generation avionics, is critical for India’s long-term airpowerstrategy. Yet, industry insiders point to challenges such as highdevelopment costs, technology risks, and uncertainties in workshareagreements as key reasons for the hesitation among private players.
Read Top Stories
Officials maintain that the program will move forward, but the repeatedextensions highlight the complexity of forging a public-private partnershipin India’s defence sector. The government is expected to revisit engagementstrategies with private industry in order to ensure the AMCA project doesnot face further delays.