Puttaparthi, Andhra Pradesh: India’s ambitious fifth-generation fighter jet programme entered a significant new phase on Friday with the foundation stone laying ceremony for a ₹16,000 crore combat aircraft infrastructure project linked to the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) programme.
The project was inaugurated in Puttaparthi by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and N. Chandrababu Naidu. The facility is being developed by the Aeronautical Development Agency under the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
The new Aircraft Integration and Flight Testing Centre will serve as a key hub for aircraft integration, testing, validation, and certification for the AMCA programme, which is India’s indigenous fifth-generation stealth fighter jet initiative. Officials believe the facility will significantly speed up the development and testing process of the advanced combat aircraft.
Speaking at the event, Rajnath Singh described the initiative as a historic milestone in India’s defence manufacturing journey. He noted that only a handful of countries possess such advanced aviation testing infrastructure and said Puttaparthi is set to become one of the few global centres associated with fifth-generation fighter aircraft development.
The AMCA programme has also witnessed increasing private sector participation. Three major consortia are currently in the race for prototype development, including Tata Advanced Systems Limited, a consortium led by Larsen & Toubro and Bharat Electronics Limited, and another consortium led by Bharat Forge along with BEML and Data Patterns.
Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu said the initiative would strengthen India’s indigenous defence manufacturing ecosystem and showcase the country’s growing capabilities in advanced combat aviation technology.
Alongside the AMCA infrastructure project, several other defence-related facilities were also launched in Andhra Pradesh. These include a ₹480 crore naval systems manufacturing facility of Bharat Dynamics Limited focused on autonomous underwater vehicles and next-generation torpedoes, a defence energetics facility by Agneyastra Energetics Limited, and an ammunition and electric fuze plant by HFCL Limited.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh also announced that eight drone companies would jointly establish a dedicated drone city in Kurnool, further strengthening India’s push toward self-reliance in defence production and emerging military technologies.
Highlighting the importance of domestic defence manufacturing amid global uncertainty, Singh said India’s long-term objective remains to make all three armed forces future-ready through indigenous capabilities and reduced dependence on foreign suppliers.
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