In a move to strengthen India's self-reliance in defence and advance its aerospace manufacturing capabilities, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has approved the Execution Model for the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) Programme. The Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) will lead the programme through an industry partnership model.

The newly approved framework offers equal opportunities to both private and public sector players, who can bid independently, as joint ventures, or as part of consortia. All participating entities must be Indian companies and fully compliant with domestic laws and regulations.

This decision is considered a critical step in enabling indigenous expertise to develop the AMCA prototype, a cornerstone in India’s Aatmanirbhar Bharat vision for the aerospace sector. The project is expected to accelerate local defence production and reduce reliance on foreign platforms for advanced fighter aircraft.

ADA will soon release an Expression of Interest (EoI) for the programme’s development phase, inviting eligible industry players to participate in building India's next-generation combat aircraft.