In a major boost to India's defense sector, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh announced that India will partner with French aerospace giant Safran to indigenously manufacture engines for its fifth-generation fighter jet, the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA). This significant development aligns with India's long-term goal of achieving self-reliance in critical defense technologies and reducing dependence on foreign suppliers. The announcement was made at the ET World Leaders Forum in Delhi.
The collaboration with Safran, a global leader in aerospace propulsion and the manufacturer of the M88 engines used in the Rafale fighter jets, is expected to involve technology transfer, joint development, and local manufacturing of the AMCA's engine. This partnership is built upon an existing relationship, as Safran already supplies engines for India's Rafale fleet and has a presence in the country through joint ventures and maintenance facilities. Formal contract negotiations between India and France will commence soon for the engine manufacturing.
The engine being co-developed is intended to power the second version of the AMCA. The initial prototypes of the AMCA may utilize imported engines, but the long-term vision is to have an indigenous engine for the advanced versions. The first set of AMCA will be equipped with the GE 414 engines. The new engine is expected to be in the 110-120kN thrust class and will likely be a high-thrust, low-bypass turbofan designed to meet the AMCA's requirements for stealth, supercruise capability (sustained supersonic flight without afterburner), and high maneuverability. Safran has also pitched the creation of an entire ecosystem for manufacturing multiple types of aircraft engines in India.
The AMCA is a planned Indian single-seat, twin-engine, all-weather fifth-generation stealth, multirole combat aircraft being developed for the Indian Air Force and the Indian Navy. It is designed by the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA), an aircraft design agency under the Ministry of Defence. The project to design and develop prototypes has been approved with a budget of Rs 15,000 crore. The DRDO expects the first prototype to be rolled out in three years, with the first flight expected one to one and a half years after that. Mass production is planned to begin by 2035. The AMCA is intended to perform air superiority, ground-strike, suppression of enemy air defenses (SEAD), and electronic warfare (EW) missions.
Only a handful of countries, including the US, Russia, the UK, and France, have mastered the technology and metallurgy needed to manufacture engines that can power combat aircraft. This collaboration with Safran is a crucial step for India to join this exclusive club and achieve greater autonomy in its defense capabilities.
This engine program is part of the "Horizon 2047" document for the India-France strategic partnership. Also, 2026 is to be celebrated as a year of innovation by India and France. In related news, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron have agreed to deepen their strategic partnership and enhance economic ties. They also coordinated their positions on global crises, including the war in Ukraine, stressing the need for peaceful resolutions and stronger international cooperation.
