New Delhi: The defence secretary, Rajesh Kumar Singh, has revealed that Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) failed to qualify for the advanced medium combat aircraft (Amca) prototype production bid on what he described as “fairly routine technical grounds”. His disclosure clarifies for the first time that the state owned aircraft manufacturer’s absence from the shortlist resulted from the competitive evaluation rather than it simply being bypassed in favour of private companies.
HAL’s failure to make the cut had been known since February, when only three of seven consortia met the mandatory technical and financial criteria. What had remained unexplained was why HAL, which had bid with two smaller partner firms, did not qualify.
Singh told the NDTV defence summit 2026 in New Delhi on Sunday that HAL “didn’t qualify on some fairly routine technical grounds which they somehow failed to meet”. He did not disclose the specific criteria on which the HAL led bid fell short.
NDTV said the outcome marked the first time HAL had failed to secure a prototype building role in an indigenous fighter aircraft project, although the company remains central to several other Indian combat aircraft programmes.
Singh also explained why the defence ministry opened Amca prototype manufacturing to wider industry. “We wanted to create a second fighter jet production line in the country rather than putting all our eggs in one basket, as has always been the case in this country,” he said, adding that three “credible technically qualified bidders” had emerged.
The government approved the Amca programme execution model in May 2025, allowing companies to participate independently, as joint ventures or as consortia. The Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) is tasked with executing the programme through the selected industry partner.
The three remaining bidders are Tata Advanced Systems Limited, an L&T-BEL-Dynamatic Technologies consortium and a Bharat Forge-BEML-Data Patterns consortium. ADA issued the request for proposal in May for the roughly ₹15,000 crore government funded prototype development phase.
The winning bidder is expected to build five flying prototypes and one structural test aircraft with ADA at Puttaparthi, Andhra Pradesh, and establish a new company within three months. ADA will retain design authority over the fighter, while the development aircraft are planned to use general electric F414 engines, also intended for the Tejas-Mk2.
The programme schedule envisages the first flight within 30 months, all five flying prototypes by 64 months and about 1,800 test sorties by 84 months. Singh said the first Amca prototype would “hopefully” fly in September 2028, making it a programme target rather than a fixed delivery date.
The Amca programme is being pursued as India faces a regional gap in stealth fighter capability. NDTV, citing reports, said China has inducted more than 500 stealth fighters, including the J-20 and J-35, while observers expect the J-35 eventually to enter service with the Pakistan’s air force. The Indian Air Force currently operates no radar-evading stealth fighter.
The bidding process is meanwhile still under way. The submission deadline was extended by two months to October 30 after prospective bidders sought additional time, with the bids scheduled to be opened on October 31 before evaluation and selection of the industry partner.