The Ministry of Defence on Wednesday, 27 May issued the Request for Proposal (RFP) for the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) program, marking a significant acceleration in India's bid to develop an indigenous fifth-generation stealth fighter jet. The move signals that the project, long in its conceptual and approval phases, has now entered a competitive procurement sprint.

Key Timelines and Bidding Process

According to the RFP, the formal bidding process will commence on 11 June, with interested parties required to submit their final bids by the end of July. Bids are scheduled to be opened on 28 July. Crucially, the selected contractor must have the first prototype airborne within 30 months of signing the contract. A total of five low-observable prototypes are to be built under the program.

Bidders will also be required to support flight testing and type certification activities for the AMCA, and dedicated testing facilities are to be established as part of the contract scope. The aircraft will be configured in line with the Equipment Standard of Preparation (ESOP), incorporating the necessary Line Replaceable Units (LRUs) and onboard systems for operations, testing, and evaluation.

Three Consortiums in the Race

Three private sector-led consortiums have been shortlisted for the AMCA bidding process: Tata Advanced Systems Limited, Larsen and Toubro–Bharat Electronics Limited, and Bharat Forge–BEML. Their participation underscores the government's push to anchor defence manufacturing in the private sector — a structural shift from the historically public-sector-dominated defence production model.

This comes roughly a year after Defence Minister Rajnath Singh approved the execution model for the AMCA program on 27 May 2025, which formally opened the door for private companies. Expressions of Interest from private firms followed approximately 20 days later.

What Makes the AMCA Distinctive

The AMCA is designed as a medium-weight, multi-role, twin-engine stealth fighter tailored to the operational requirements of the Indian Air Force (IAF). It will be India's first indigenous twin-engine fighter jet — a milestone in the country's decades-long pursuit of self-reliance in combat aviation.

The aircraft incorporates advanced stealth features engineered to minimise radar cross-section, making it significantly harder for adversary radar systems to detect. Unlike conventional fighters — where missiles and weapons are mounted externally under wings or the fuselage, making them radar-visible — the AMCA will house its armaments in an internal weapons bay, substantially enhancing its stealth profile.

The jet is also designed for extended endurance, with a projected continuous airborne duration of nearly 10 hours. Several ergonomic and systems modifications are reportedly being incorporated to ensure pilot comfort during such prolonged missions.

Strategic Context

India's push to develop the AMCA comes as the IAF's fighter squadron strength has been a persistent concern, with the fleet currently below sanctioned levels. The AMCA is intended to eventually replace ageing platforms and reduce India's heavy dependence on imported combat aircraft. Notably, this is one of the most ambitious indigenous defence programs India has undertaken, comparable in scale and complexity to the Tejas Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) program — though the AMCA targets a significantly higher technological tier.

With bids due by end of July and a 30-month prototype deadline on the horizon, the pace of execution over the next year will be the first real test of whether India's private defence sector can deliver on a generational leap in aerial warfare capability.