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Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday announced that India will partner with French aerospace giant Safran to co-develop and manufacture next-generation fighter jet engines for the country’s fifth-generation Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA).
“Today, we have taken a major step forward in building fifth-generation fighter aircraft. We are also moving towards manufacturing the aircraft’s engine in India itself,” Singh said in a post on X. He added, “We are about to start engine manufacturing work in India with the French company Safran.”
आज हम Fifth Generation fighter aircraft बनाने की दिशा में भी आगे कदम बढ़ा चुके हैं। हम एयरक्राफ्ट का इंजन भी भारत में ही बनाने की तरफ़ बढ़ चुके हैं। हम लोग फ़्रेंच कंपनी Safaran के साथ इंजन मेकिंग का काम भारत में शुरू करने जा रहे हैं: रक्षा मंत्री श्री @rajnathsingh
— रक्षा मंत्री कार्यालय/ RMO India (@DefenceMinIndia) August 22, 2025
According to Defence Ministry sources, the French proposal involves designing a new engine with supply-chain and production facilities in India. Safran and the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) have drawn up a roadmap for the project, which is expected to take nearly a decade. The new powerplant, with thrust in the 110–120 kilo newton (kN) class, is slated to equip the second version of AMCA.
The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, had last year cleared the Rs 15,000-crore project to design and develop prototypes of the AMCA. The aircraft will be produced in two variants with different thrust engines.
Officials said the deal with Safran will include full technology transfer, no export restrictions, and collaboration with India’s Gas Turbine Research Establishment (GTRE). The agreement is expected to be concluded as a government-to-government (G2G) contract, with negotiations set to begin shortly.
Safran, which produces the M-88 engines powering Rafale fighter jets, already has extensive partnerships with India. The IAF operates 36 Rafales, while the Navy has ordered 26 carrier-borne variants. Sources indicated that India is also likely to acquire another 36 Rafale fighters for the Air Force to address squadron shortages.
In the helicopter domain, Safran and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) have co-developed engines for advanced light helicopters, with about 400 already in service. They are also collaborating on engines for the under-development 13-tonne Indian Multi-Role Helicopter (IMRH) and its naval version, the Deck-Based Multi-Role Helicopter (DBMRH), slated for launch in 2027, replacing the IAF’s ageing Mi-17 fleet.
Safran has further proposed establishing an entire ecosystem in India for the manufacture of multiple categories of aircraft engines, advancing the country’s “Make in India” ambitions and boosting self-reliance in aerospace.
Ravi Shankar
Dr Ravi Shankar has over two decades of experience in communications, print journalism, electronic media, documentary film making and new media.
He makes regular appearances on national television news channels as a commentator and analyst on current and political affairs. Apart from being an acknowledged Journalist, he has been a passionate newsroom manager bringing a wide range of journalistic experience from past associations with India’s leading media conglomerates (Times of India group and India Today group) and had led global news-gathering operations at world’s biggest multimedia news agency- ANI-Reuters. He has covered Parliament extensively over the past several years. Widely traveled, he has covered several summits as part of media delegation accompanying the Indian President, Vice President, Prime Minister, External Affairs Minister and Finance Minister across Asia, Africa and Europe.
