Overview
- The Defence Ministry issued the formal Request for Proposal on Wednesday, August 12, and sent the tender to several Indian firms including Tata Advanced Systems, Mahindra Defence, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, Adani and Reliance.
- The RFP seeks 60 medium multirole transport aircraft in the 18–30 tonne payload class to replace aging An‑32s and to fill roles currently partly handled by Il‑76s.
- Reported industry pairings include Tata with Lockheed Martin (C‑130J) and Mahindra with Embraer (C‑390), with HAL and other bidders expected to partner foreign OEMs or revive earlier proposals.
- Procurement terms call for roughly 12 flyaway aircraft initially and domestic manufacture of the remaining 48 through joint ventures, with owners required to set up final assembly lines, lifetime MRO and engine overhaul facilities in India.
- Next steps are bid submission, technical evaluation and field trials before commercial talks and contract award, and the programme is designed to expand India’s aerospace supply chain and improve resupply of forward bases such as those in Ladakh and the Northeast.