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India’s Defense Minister Rajnath Singh approved the development of a fifth-generation fighter jet prototype on May 27, 2025. Its approval comes just weeks after a deadly four-day aerial conflict with neighboring Pakistan.

The prototype of the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) will be developed by India’s Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA), a government body responsible for indigenous aircraft design under the Ministry of Defense.

According to an official statement, the project is set to be executed “through industry partnership,” in alignment with India’s broader push toward building an indigenous defense ecosystem.

“This is an important step…which will be a major milestone towards aatmanirbharta (‘self-reliance’) in the aerospace sector,” the statement emphasized, underlining the government’s strategic aim to reduce dependence on foreign arms suppliers.

A leap in defense capabilities

The Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft project represents India’s most ambitious attempt to join the ranks of countries capable of designing and producing fifth-generation fighter aircraft, a class of jets known for stealth, advanced avionics, and multirole versatility.

With existing 4.5 generation jets like the French-made Rafales forming the backbone of the Indian Air Force (IAF), the indigenous AMCA will signify a technological leap and an assertion of strategic autonomy in aerospace defense.

This development arrives at a time when India is increasingly determined to modernize its military forces. In recent years, India has stepped up investments in warships, missile systems, aircraft carriers, and hypersonic missile programs.

Earlier this decade, India launched its first indigenously built aircraft carrier and opened a new helicopter manufacturing facility. These efforts are part of a broader plan to position India as not only a regional power but also a key player in the global defense industry.

Defense self-sufficiency

India has long been one of the world’s largest arms importers. According to data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), the country accounted for nearly 10 percent of global arms imports between 2019 and 2023.

Historically reliant on Russian hardware, India has diversified its defense partnerships in recent years, notably expanding cooperation with Western countries, including the United States, France, and members of the Quad alliance, Australia and Japan.

In April, New Delhi signed a multi-billion-dollar deal with Dassault Aviation of France to procure 26 Rafale Marine jets, augmenting its fleet of 36 Rafales already in service and replacing aging Russian MiG-29Ks.

However, the shift toward foreign suppliers from the West does not imply abandonment of self-reliance goals. On the contrary, the government has simultaneously pledged massive investments in domestic defense production.

Defense Minister Rajnath Singh has committed to signing at least $100 billion worth of contracts for indigenous defense systems by 2033. These contracts are expected to cover a broad range of hardware, including tanks, submarines, aircraft, and missile systems, creating opportunities for both public and private sector players in India’s growing defense manufacturing industry.

Pakistan-China nexus

The timing of the AMCA approval is also significant, as it comes in the immediate aftermath of one of the most serious military escalations between India and Pakistan in over two decades. On May 10, the two sides agreed to a ceasefire following four days of intense fighting that left more than 70 people dead.

The confrontation was triggered by a deadly April 22 attack on tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir, which New Delhi blamed on Islamabad, a charge Pakistan has denied.

During the clashes, Pakistan claimed that its Chinese-supplied fighter jets had shot down six Indian aircraft, including three French-made Rafale fighters. While India has not officially confirmed these losses, senior security officials have told media reporters that three Indian jets had crashed on home soil, without disclosing the aircraft models or causes.

This conflict marked the worst face-off between the two nuclear-armed neighbors since the 1999 Kargil War, and further highlighted the volatile nature of their relationship. Kashmir remains a flashpoint, and both sides continue to maintain significant troop deployments along the Line of Control.

India’s northern border with China is another major concern. Since the fatal 2020 clash between Indian and Chinese troops in the Galwan Valley, tensions have persisted along the Line of Actual Control (LAC). Though large-scale hostilities have been avoided since then, both sides have ramped up their military presence, and infrastructure development continues unabated in contested areas.

In this context, India’s pursuit of a fifth-generation fighter jet is not merely a technological or industrial endeavor, it is a national security imperative. The AMCA will be designed to enhance India’s deterrence capabilities and enable it to respond more effectively to multi-front threats.

Defense doctrine

India’s defense doctrine appears to be undergoing a significant transformation. The country is transitioning from being one of the world’s top arms importers to becoming a credible producer of cutting-edge military technology. Programs like the AMCA are part of a larger roadmap to build a resilient, self-sustaining military-industrial base capable of addressing both traditional and non-traditional security challenges.

The geopolitical environment surrounding India necessitates such measures. With unresolved disputes on its borders, a nuclear-armed adversary to the west, and a rising superpower to the north, India must maintain a state of high readiness while asserting its technological and strategic autonomy.

Whether the AMCA will enter production on schedule and meet operational expectations remains to be seen. Such complex projects are often plagued by delays, cost overruns, and technical hurdles. However, the political will to achieve defense self-reliance is stronger than ever.

As India seeks to position itself as a net security provider in the Indo-Pacific and a pillar of the rules-based international order, developing indigenous, next-generation platforms like the AMCA will play a pivotal role in shaping its defense posture for the decades to come.