India’s Ministry of Defence has opened a competition for 60 medium transport aircraft for the Indian Air Force, issuing a request for proposals that puts around ₹1 lakh crore, or $10.5 billion, of business on the table. The programme is aimed at replacing the air force’s ageing An-32 fleet and could also cover some missions currently carried out by Il-76 transports, with Lockheed Martin’s C-130J Super Hercules and Embraer’s C-390 Millennium among the leading contenders.
The procurement is structured as a Buy and Make programme, with 12 aircraft expected as fly-away deliveries and 48 to be built in India. Indian industry groups including Tata Advanced Systems, Mahindra Defence, Adani Defence and Aerospace and Hindustan Aeronautics are expected to pursue partnerships with foreign original equipment manufacturers. Airbus’s A400M has also featured in coverage, although it sits outside the stated payload band.
The competition follows Acceptance of Necessity clearance in March and moves the project from planning into a formal procurement phase. Field evaluation is expected to include high-altitude and semi-prepared strips, including Advanced Landing Grounds in Ladakh and the north-east, underlining the programme’s focus on operations from challenging airfields.