India is set to develop and manufacture fighter jet engines domestically in partnership with a French company, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Friday.
Singh, speaking at a conference in New Delhi, said the initiative would strengthen India’s indigenous defence capabilities. “We are moving forward to manufacture aircraft engines in India itself,” he said. “We are collaborating with a French company to start engine production in India.”
Indian media have reported the French partner to be Safran, which has longstanding operations in India’s aviation and defence sectors.
The announcement follows Singh’s approval of the prototype for a fifth-generation Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) in May, which he described as a major step toward modernising India’s military.
India, one of the world’s largest arms importers, has prioritised the modernisation of its armed forces and is actively working to expand domestic arms production. Singh has promised at least $100 billion in new domestic military hardware contracts by 2033.
In recent years, India has increased defence cooperation with Western countries, including through the Quad alliance with the United States, Japan and Australia. In April, India signed a multi-billion-dollar deal to acquire 26 Rafale fighter jets from France’s Dassault Aviation, adding to 36 Rafale jets already in service and gradually replacing Russian MiG-29K fighters.
This decade, India has launched a domestic helicopter factory, produced its first indigenous aircraft carrier, commissioned new warships and submarines, and successfully tested a long-range hypersonic missile.
