Latest news with #ProgrammeExecutionModel
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)
India Gazette
29-05-2025
- Business
- India Gazette
Defence exports to go up after Op Sindoor, says Secretary Defence R&D
New Delhi [India], May 29 (ANI): Export of indigenous defence equipment will witness an uptick following Operation Sindoor as it is 'war-tested' now, Chairperson of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) Samir V Kamat said on Thursday. Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) Annual Business Summit-2025 in the national capital, Kamat said that weapons used during the 'Operation Sindoor' have built confidence among importing countries. 'I am hopeful that exports will increase after Operation Sindoor because now these (equipments) have been war-tested,' said Kamat, the Secretary Defence R&D and DRDO chairman. The Defence R&D chairman said that following the four-day military conflict with Pakistan earlier this month India's defence sector is attracting a lot of attention. 'After Operation Sindoor, I sincerely hope that exports will increase because they have just been tested. Equipment and other countries will show a lot of interest in buying them right now,' said Kamat. He said that India is already exporting defence equipment to over hundred countries and there are possibility that this number will go up after this operation. 'Already we are exporting to hundred countries, then I sincerely hope that this equipment will go to the hundred Countries and some other countries who are not buying us right now will also be interested in buying our equipment right now,' he told reporters. Kamat further added that the recently approved execution model of the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) programme will open up the participation of private sector for fighter aircraft development. The defence ministry had on May 27 approved the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) Programme Execution Model, a key step to boost India's indigenous defence capabilities and strengthen the domestic aerospace industry. The Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) is set to execute the programme through industry partnership. The Execution Model approach provides equal competitive opportunities to the private and public sectors. They can bid either independently, as joint ventures, or as consortia. The entity/bidder should be an Indian company compliant with the laws and regulations of the country, the statement said. 'In this execution model, the HAL can bid. Private sector can bid. They can also bid as a joint venture. So this will open a participation of private sector four fighter aircraft,' Kamat added. Kamat said that the development should be completed by 2034, and then the production will start by 2035. He said the first prototype flight will be ready by the end of 2029. Earlier in his address at the CII plenary event, Rajnath Singh said that that under the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) project, the Government, with industry participation plans to develop five prototypes of the 5th generation fighter aircraft, which will later lead to series production. Addressing the Annual Summit of the CII in the national capital, Singh said the decision should be considered a milestone in the history of the 'Make in India' programme. The project, he said, will promote self-reliance (Atmanirbharta) in the defence field. Through the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft programme Execution Model, the private sector will get an opportunity to participate in a mega defence project along with public sector companies for the first time. (ANI)
Time of India
28-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Defence experts hail govt's decision to approve AMCA Programme Execution Model, calls it a 'game-changing step'
Defence experts on Wednesday hailed the government's decision to approve the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) Programme Execution Model and called it a game-changing step for India's defence. Defence Expert Shiwalee Deshpande said that the decision shows the country's and the government's faith in the indigenisation and the Make in India defence technology . "The government's decision to give its manufacturing to the private players is a game-changing step. It shows the countries' and the government's faith in the indigenisation and the Make in India defence technology... The future wars are going to be very difficult. So this is a welcome step to increase our air power in a world where countries are developing fifth-generation and sixth-generation aircraft... Since the private and public sectors will work jointly on this project, we will get the aircraft ready quickly and as and when we require them." Retired Air Vice Marshal Suryakant Chintaman Chafekar said that Intelligence gathering and creating new systems are a race in the present scenario, and buying another country's aircraft can pass on information to other countries. "Intelligence gathering and creating new systems are a race in the present scenario. If we buy another country's aircraft, half of the things about it, like the communication system, radar, or the frequency it uses, are known to the world," he said. Live Events "After the success of our air defence system in Operation Sindoor, we are on a high. Make in India has been appreciated worldwide because of our defence system... That's why we have embarked on this (AMCA programme). However, the government fully realises that there is no way that only PSUs (Public Sector Undertakings) can take on this job. That is why they have opened it up in a big way to the private industries... Private sector involvement will give impetus to producing the fifth generation aircraft," Chafekar added. Calling it a bold step for the Indian Armed Forces, he said, "We have to be careful about the timeline. Our experience with Tejas was not good because the timeline could not be followed." On May 27, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday approved the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) Programme Execution Model, a key step to boost India's indigenous defence capabilities and strengthen the domestic aerospace industry, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said in an official statement. According to the MoD's statement, in a significant push towards enhancing India's indigenous defence capabilities and fostering a robust domestic aerospace industrial ecosystem, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has approved the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) Programme Execution Model. The Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) is set to execute the programme through industry partnership. The Execution Model approach provides equal opportunities to both the private and public sectors on a competitive basis. They can bid either independently or as a joint venture, or as a consortium. The entity/bidder should be an Indian company compliant with the laws and regulations of the country, the statement said. This is an important step towards harnessing the indigenous expertise, capability and capacity to develop the AMCA prototype, which will be a major milestone towards Aatmanirbharta in the aerospace sector. ADA will shortly issue an Expression of Interest (EoI) for the AMCA Development Phase, the statement added. Following the announcement, the stock markets reacted strongly to the development, with shares of defence and related companies rising by around 6 per cent at the time of reporting. The stocks of defence and allied sectors such as Hindustan Aeronautics (HAL), Cochin Shipyard , Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE), Bharat Dynamics (BDL), BEML, Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders (MDL), Ideaforge Technology, Bharat Electronics , Apollo Micro Systems, and Paras Defence and Space Technologies were up between 1 and 6 per cent. Following the news, the Nifty India Defence index reached 8,674.05, a fresh 52-week high. (ANI)
India Gazette
27-05-2025
- Business
- India Gazette
Union Defence Minister approves AMCA programme execution model to boost indigenous aerospace industry
New Delhi [India], May 27 (ANI): Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday approved the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) Programme Execution Model, a key step to boost India's indigenous defence capabilities and strengthen the domestic aerospace industry, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said in an official statement. According to MoD's statement, in a significant push towards enhancing India's indigenous defence capabilities and fostering a robust domestic aerospace industrial ecosystem, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has approved the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) Programme Execution Model. The Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) is set to execute the programme through industry partnership. The Execution Model approach provides equal opportunities to both the private and public sectors on a competitive basis. They can bid either independently or as a joint venture, or as consortia. The entity or bidder should be an Indian company compliant with the laws and regulations of the country, the statement said. This is an important step towards harnessing the indigenous expertise, capability and capacity to develop the AMCA prototype, which will be a major milestone towards Aatmanirbharta in the aerospace sector. ADA will shortly issue an Expression of Interest (EoI) for the AMCA Development Phase, the statement added. Earlier reports indicate that India is actively encouraging private sector involvement in the indigenous fifth-generation AMCA project to ensure its timely completion, even as the US pushes to sell its F-35 fighter jets to the country. A Defence Ministry committee led by Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh, with members from the Indian Air Force and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), has been formed to explore ways to enhance private sector participation in the project. The committee is considering multiple models, including joint ventures between HAL and private firms, or having private companies partner in the design and development phases. Given HAL's extensive experience in aerospace manufacturing, its involvement remains central to the project. Currently, HAL outsources significant portions of work for fighter jets to private companies like L&T, Godrej, and Azad Engineering. Among private players, the Tata Group has some experience in aircraft integration, working with Airbus on assembling C-295 transport aircraft in India. A full-scale model of AMCA, designed by ADA for the Indian Air Force, was showcased at Aero India 2025, held in Bengaluru from February 10 to 14. This 25-ton aircraft will feature manned and unmanned teaming capabilities, enhanced by artificial intelligence (AI) technologies. The AI-powered electronic pilot includes multi-sensor data fusion for better situational awareness, a pilot decision support system, an automatic target identification system, and a combined vision system for navigation under poor visibility conditions. According to ADA, the integration of AI will significantly advance the AMCA's operational capabilities, making it one of the most advanced fifth-generation fighter aircraft globally. (ANI)
India Gazette
27-05-2025
- Business
- India Gazette
Defence Minister approves AMCA programme execution model to boost indigenous aerospace industry
New Delhi [India], May 27 (ANI): Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday approved the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) Programme Execution Model, a key step to boost India's indigenous defence capabilities and strengthen the domestic aerospace industry, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said in an official statement. According to MoD's statement, in a significant push towards enhancing India's indigenous defence capabilities and fostering a robust domestic aerospace industrial ecosystem, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has approved the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) Programme Execution Model. The Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) is set to execute the programme through industry partnership. The Execution Model approach provides equal opportunities to both the private and public sectors on a competitive basis. They can bid either independently or as a joint venture, or as consortia. The entity or bidder should be an Indian company compliant with the laws and regulations of the country, the statement said. This is an important step towards harnessing the indigenous expertise, capability and capacity to develop the AMCA prototype, which will be a major milestone towards Aatmanirbharta in the aerospace sector. ADA will shortly issue an Expression of Interest (EoI) for the AMCA Development Phase, the statement added. Earlier reports indicate that India is actively encouraging private sector involvement in the indigenous fifth-generation AMCA project to ensure its timely completion, even as the US pushes to sell its F-35 fighter jets to the country. A Defence Ministry committee led by Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh, with members from the Indian Air Force and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), has been formed to explore ways to enhance private sector participation in the project. The committee is considering multiple models, including joint ventures between HAL and private firms, or having private companies partner in the design and development phases. Given HAL's extensive experience in aerospace manufacturing, its involvement remains central to the project. Currently, HAL outsources significant portions of work for fighter jets to private companies like L&T, Godrej, and Azad Engineering. Among private players, the Tata Group has some experience in aircraft integration, working with Airbus on assembling C-295 transport aircraft in India. A full-scale model of AMCA, designed by ADA for the Indian Air Force, was showcased at Aero India 2025, held in Bengaluru from February 10 to 14. This 25-ton aircraft will feature manned and unmanned teaming capabilities, enhanced by artificial intelligence (AI) technologies. The AI-powered electronic pilot includes multi-sensor data fusion for better situational awareness, a pilot decision support system, an automatic target identification system, and a combined vision system for navigation under poor visibility conditions. According to ADA, the integration of AI will significantly advance the AMCA's operational capabilities, making it one of the most advanced fifth-generation fighter aircraft globally. (ANI)
