Overview
- The Defence Ministry issued the Request for Proposal on Wednesday to three shortlisted private‑sector consortia: Tata Advanced Systems, an L&T‑BEL group, and a Bharat Forge‑BEML team.
- State‑run Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd was excluded from the prototype phase, marking a deliberate shift toward private execution of a major fighter programme.
- The government has allocated about ₹15,000 crore to fund the prototype phase, which requires the selected partner to build five flying prototypes and one structural test airframe.
- The Aeronautical Development Agency of DRDO will lead design and oversight, initial plans name the GE‑414 as the engine option, and officials expect L1 selection by early 2027 with first prototype flights projected between 2028 and 2032.
- The programme aims to field an indigenous fifth‑generation stealth multirole fighter and to expand private defence manufacturing, with the Puttaparthi integration and flight‑test complex expected to create local jobs and new industrial capacity.