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India Gazette
15 hours ago
- Business
- India Gazette
"AMCA open for private sector": Defence Secy Rajesh Kumar Singh emphasises need for private players in fighter jet production
New Delhi [India], June 20 (ANI): Emphasising the importance of private sector involvement in the defence aviation industry, Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh said on Friday that the production of India's fifth-generation fighter jet, the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA), will be open to private companies. In an exclusive interview with ANI, Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh underscored the need for at least two aircraft manufacturers in India. He noted that the presence of private sector players would foster healthy competition, ultimately benefiting the country's public sector aerospace company, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). 'We've not reached a stage where I can talk about anything specific being done. What I can talk about is that our fifth-generation fighter, which will be the kept it open for the public and private sectors for the first time. The intent is that we need to have at least two aircraft manufacturers in the country, if not more. And once that gets some traction, we will hopefully move towards self-reliance in this critical area. For the AMCA, the timeline is about eight years,' Singh said. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had last month approved the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) Programme Execution Model. The Execution Model approach provides equal opportunities to both the private and public sectors on a competitive basis. They can bid either independently, as a joint venture, or as a consortium. The entity or bidder should be an Indian company that is compliant with the laws and regulations of the country. The Defence Secretary said HAL will gain from healthy competition. 'There was a committee headed by me, which essentially sort of gave the report that we need to open it up for the entire manufacturing ecosystem of the country. Whoever wants to come in should come in and... HAL will also gain from healthy competition of this type,' he said. Answering a query, he said HAL has the first-mover advantage and is the only military aircraft maker in the country, and there is a need to bring some competition. 'I would say to any premature criticism of HAL. HAL has its own constraints. I mean, the LCA production line has not stabilised, largely because of the delays in engine supplies from the US. But the fact is that they also have their order books full. I think that they already have six years of orders with them. They have their hands full as well. And therefore, I mean, you can't explicitly bar anybody from competing, particularly in the public sector. But you would like to create a level-playing field where others can also bid. They have the first-mover advantage. They are the only military aircraft maker in the country. So they will always have that advantage. But the intent is to bring in some competition, because monopolies are never good. For even a public sector monopoly,' Singh said. The Defence Secretary stated that India's reliance on Russian defence equipment has declined compared to the past. He also noted that the country now imports defence equipment from a broader range of nations, including Israel, France, and the United States. He pointed out that ongoing geopolitical tensions and global conflicts have impacted the timely delivery of defence equipment. 'Russians are one of our leading suppliers. I think the percentage would have come 40 per cent or so, from about 65-70 per cent earlier. I mean, it's not just the Ukraine conflict, which, of course, it has affected some supplies from Russia, the prime example being the S-400s, which are delayed, but where we now have a firm schedule; they'll come next year by April, and one by April, one battery by the end of next year,' Singh said. 'Others - I mean, to be very frank, some of our contracts with Israel also got held up because of their issues, the conflict that they have. So yeah, it's probably inevitable. But the fact is that Israel, Russia, and France - these are ours, and increasingly the US also - they are some of our primary sorts of weapon suppliers now. And to some extent, all of them have been affected by the supply chain disruptions that came after COVID and thereafter by the geopolitical conflicts,' Singh said. On whether India is eyeing American or Russian fifth-generation fighter jets, the Defence Secretary said that the discussions with the countries are not in the formal stage yet. 'I mean, whatever has been discussed has been informal. We don't really have any formal consultations going on on these. Our intent, of course, will have to be to acquire critical technologies through selective foreign purchases,' he added. (ANI)
The Hindu
a day ago
- Automotive
- The Hindu
Why India should address its propulsion gap
The story so far: There has been growing excitement in military and industrial circles over the fast-tracked indigenous fifth generation stealth Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA). Touted as a multi-role fighter with super-cruise capability, internal weapons bays, advanced avionics, and diverter-less supersonic intakes enhancing stealth and reliability, the AMCA is being hailed as a milestone in Indian aerospace history. However, a dose of historical realism is warranted particularly since India has a persistent propulsion gap, and is overly reliant on imported engines. Nearly seven decades of fighter development reveal cautionary lessons, starting with India's first indigenously designed fighter jet, the HF-24 Marut (Spirit of the Tempest). What happened to the HF-24 Marut? Launched in the 1950s by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) under famed German engineer Kurt Tank — designer of several WWII Luftwaffe fighters — the twin-engine, swept-wing Marut was, like the AMCA, an ambitious project of its time. Sleek and capable of transonic speeds, it embodied post-colonial India's drive for self-reliance and entered service amid high hopes in the late 1960s. However, the Marut never reached its full potential, not because of design flaws, but entirely due to its underpowered British Bristol Siddeley Orpheus 703 turbojets. Although Tank had envisioned a more powerful engine, it never materialised, leaving the Marut's performance underwhelming. And, while it performed reasonably well in ground-attack roles during the 1971 war on the western front, its propulsion limitations ultimately proved crippling. HAL produced only 147 of these high-maintenance, low-output fighters, which were eventually 'number-plated' or retired by 1990. Indian Air Force (IAF) veterans who flew the Marut consistently cited the lack of a powerful engine as its Achilles' heel — highlighting the enduring reality that high-end fighters live or die by propulsion technology. Engines, after all, are not mere technical parts but the core of sovereign aerospace capability, shaping a combat aircraft's power, range, and mission effectiveness. Did India develop its own engines? Following the Marut's disappointing engine performance, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) assigned its Gas Turbine Research Establishment (GTRE) laboratory in 1989 to develop the Kaveri GTX-35VS afterburning turbofan for the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA), which had been under design development since 1981-82. Over the next 35 years, GTRE spent around ₹2032 crore, as of 2020, on the project, but without success. Despite producing nine full-scale prototypes and four core engines — logging over 3,000 hours of ground testing and 73 hours of flight trials on an Ilyushin IL-76 flying test bed in Russia — the Kaveri failed to meet the LCA's performance benchmarks. It struggled with thrust-to-weight ratio, reliability, and thermal management under sustained high-performance conditions. Though spinoff versions were proposed for tanks, ships, and locomotives, none have so far entered operational use. A revival attempt in 2016, in collaboration with French engine-maker Snecma (linked to offset obligations from the IAF's Rafale deal) also collapsed. A parallel proposal by its partner Safran to co-develop a new engine for the Tejas MkII and AMCA met a similar fate, reportedly rejected by the DRDO due to institutional pride. Meanwhile, Kaveri's failure forced the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA), responsible for the LCA's design, to adopt the U.S.-made General Electric (GE) F404-IN20 afterburning turbofan engine (producing 78-80 kN of thrust) around 2004. Although barely adequate — restricting Tejas' payload and high-angle-of-attack capabilities — the engine was eventually approved by the IAF, which inducted two Mk1 squadrons from 2015 onwards, with one squadron operating without full operational clearance, nearly 34 years after the LCA programme's inception. How is India affected by engine dependency? India's engine dependency issues resurfaced recently when GE delayed delivery of 99 F404 engines by 13 months for the upgraded LCA Mk1A — a lighter, more capable variant equipped with an Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar, advanced electronic warfare suites, and mid-air refuelling capability. Under a $716 million contract signed in 2021, engine deliveries were scheduled to begin by March 2024, but the first power pack arrived only in April 2025, as part of an initial batch of 12 expected by the end of the year. GE cited 'unprecedented supply chain pressures,' including disruptions from suppliers, as the cause for the delay, but for India it jeopardised the MK1As commissioning by deferring it further. This triggered sharp criticism from Air Chief Marshal A.P. Singh, who publicly rebuked HAL for chronic slippages in fighter deliveries amid a steep decline in IAF combat strength from a sanctioned 42.5 fighter squadrons to around 30 presently. Further reductions loom with two legacy MiG-21 'Bis' squadrons slated for imminent retirement. 'We need to be now ready to be future-ready,' Mr. Singh said at the CII Annual Business Summit in New Delhi on May 29. Citing HAL's blotted history of missed deadlines, he bluntly asserted that wars are won by equipping the military, not merely planning for the future. Simultaneously, HAL's negotiations with GE to locally manufacture the more powerful GE-F414 engine (90–96 kN thrust) — intended for the LCA Mk2 and initially the AMCA Mk1 — too has hit a roadblock. The deal, announced during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 2023 U.S. visit, has reportedly been stalled by GE's demand for an additional $500 million over the original $1.5 billion agreement. More critically, GE appears unwilling to share core engine technologies like single-crystal turbine blades, thermal barrier coatings, and advanced cooling systems, all of which are vital for boosting engine durability and thrust. HAL continues to demand full technology transfer, but industry insiders point out that such proprietary know-how, developed at great expense, is rarely shared by global engine makers. Talks, however, are still ongoing. Both the LCA Mk2, which is under-development, and the initial AMCA Mk1 models are expected to rely on the F414 as a 'stopgap' powerplant, pending finalisation of the deal. The ADA is also scouting for a 110 kN-class engine for the AMCA Mk2, potentially via a joint venture. Intermittent discussions with France's Safran and the U.K.'s Rolls-Royce have so far yielded no concrete outcome. And, while these possibilities may serve as a short-term workaround, it reflects the same external engine dependence that had crippled the Marut. Consequently, a cross-section of IAF veterans and aerospace experts warned that unless India developed an indigenous engine to power future AMCA blocks, the programme risks being held hostage once again to geopolitical whims. How much is India dependent on external engines? India's external propulsion sourcing extends well beyond aerial platforms, affecting the Army and Navy as well, both of which are exclusively reliant on imported power packs or foreign engines assembled and built domestically under licence. The Army's Arjun Main Battle Tank, for example, is powered by the German MTU MB838 Ka-501 diesel engine paired with RENK RK-304 transmissions, while the recently trialled Zorawar Light Tank uses the U.S.-origin 1,000hp Cummins Advanced Combat Engine. The Navy too depends wholly on foreign propulsion systems — Russian, Ukrainian, French, German, and U.S. engines — that power all its indigenously designed and built frigates, destroyers, auxiliary vessels, troop carriers, corvettes, and fast attack craft. India's all-round engine development across aerospace, land, and naval platforms is critical to ensure strategic autonomy and enhance military capability. How important is autonomous engine development ? Aircraft engine development is vital for India to achieve aerospace autonomy and strategic self-reliance. Disruptions in foreign engine supplies delay production like that of the LCA Mk1A, hampers upgrades, and restricts exports as that would necessitate third-party approvals. The U.S., France, and China are able to assert dominance in global aerospace markets as they have harnessed indigenous propulsion. However, for India, mastering advanced jet engine technology is not merely a prestige project but is crucial to sustaining military readiness, ensuring credible deterrence, and insulating its defence sector from external shocks and global political vagaries. Without this core capability, India's broader ambitions in aviation and defence exports risk remaining perennially compromised. A broad spectrum of defence experts and IAF veterans contend that India's failure to develop advanced jet engines transcend technical hurdles and are fundamentally a political challenge. India's defence funding remains fragmented, largely focused on short-term projects, rather than being driven by a long-term, strategic vision. If India is genuinely committed to closing this glaring capability gap, mere slogans like Atmanirbhar Bharat will not suffice. Achieving true autonomy in engine technology demands comprehensive structural reforms, unwavering political will, and the cultivation of an innovation ecosystem which will seamlessly integrate private sector participation, academic research, and defence R&D institutions into a cohesive and competitive framework. Rahul Bedi is a veteran journalist based in New Delhi and Chandigarh specialising in military, defence and security matters.
NDTV
a day ago
- Business
- NDTV
India Kick-Starts Process To Build 5th Generation Stealth Fighter Jet
New Delhi: India has kick-started the process to implement an ambitious project to develop a fifth generation stealth fighter jet to boost its air power. The Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA), an entity that operates under the defence ministry, has invited Expression of Interest (EOI) for developing prototypes of the aircraft. Under the project, the government plans to build five prototypes of the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA). India has been working on the ambitious AMCA project to develop the medium weight deep penetration fighter jet with advanced stealth features to bolster its air power capability. AMCA along with the Tejas light combat aircraft are planned to be the mainstays of the Indian Air Force. The ADA said the aim of the EOI is to shortlist Indian companies (owned and controlled by resident Indian citizens) who are technically capable of building the AMCA prototypes. In an official note, it said the applicant may be a single company, joint venture or a consortium of companies. It said reputed Indian companies having experience in the aerospace and defence sector with capability to absorb the design of AMCA will be shortlisted for the project. The shortlisted entity must possess the capability of setting up a manufacturing facility for series production of the aircraft, it said. The duration of the contract for development, prototyping, flight test and certification of AMCA shall not exceed eight years from the effective date of contract, the ADA said.
News18
2 days ago
- Business
- News18
Unin Defnece Minister Of India, Rajnath Singh Approves India's 5th Gen Stealth Fighter Jet
Unin Defnece Minister Of India, Rajnath Singh Approves India's 5th Gen Stealth Fighter Jet | News18 Last Updated:June 19, 2025, 18:19 IST Breaking News Videos | Aeronautical Development Agency invites EOI from Indian companies to develop and produce the fifth-generation Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA). Project timeline set for 8 years.@AmanKayamHai_ shares more details@akankshaswarups | n18oc_breaking-newsNews18 Mobile App -
Time of India
2 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
5th-generation stealth fighter: India launches hunt for partners to build futuristic jet; invites bids to build AMCA prototypes
NEW DELHI: India has officially fired the starting shot in its race to develop a next-generation stealth fighter jet, inviting Indian aerospace firms to help build prototypes of the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA), a project billed as a major leap in indigenous defense capabilities. The Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA), the design and development arm under the ministry of defence, has issued an expression of interest (EOI) to shortlist Indian companies for constructing five prototypes of the AMCA – a fifth-generation, twin-engine stealth fighter with deep-strike capabilities. The AMCA is expected to be a cornerstone of the Indian Air Force alongside the Tejas Light Combat Aircraft, with plans to eventually replace aging fleets and reduce dependence on foreign military aircraft. According to the ADA, only Indian-owned and -controlled companies are eligible. Single companies, joint ventures or consortiums with a proven track record in aerospace and defense manufacturing are being encouraged to apply. The selected firm will also be required to establish facilities capable of scaling into full-scale production once the prototype phase is complete. 'This is not just about building prototypes,' the ADA said in its official communication. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like One of the Most Successful Investors of All Time, Warren Buffett, Recommends: 5 Books for Turning... Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Click Here Undo 'It's about identifying a long-term industrial partner capable of absorbing AMCA's design and preparing for future series production.' The agency has set a strict timeline: all development, testing, and certification of the AMCA must be completed within eight years from the contract's effective date. The AMCA project is central to India's push for self-reliance in defense manufacturing. Once completed, the aircraft is expected to match the capabilities of other fifth-generation fighters like the US F-35 or China's J-20, boasting stealth technology, advanced avionics, and supercruise capability.
