India to Build Fighter Jets: Rajnath, Chandrababu Launch ₹16K Cr AMCA Project in Puttaparthi

In a landmark moment for India’s defence ambitions, Puttaparthi witnessed history on Friday as Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu laid the foundation stone for a cluster of aerospace and defence projects, headlined by the ₹15,803-crore Aircraft Integration and Flight Testing Centre for India’s fifth-generation Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) programme.

The AMCA , or the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft, is India’s planned fifth-generation stealth fighter jet programme being developed by the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) under DRDO . It is designed as a multirole combat aircraft with stealth capabilities, advanced avionics, and high agility, aimed at strengthening India’s air superiority while reducing dependence on imported fighter jets.

Described as a “historic chapter in India’s defence history,” the Aircraft Integration and Flight Testing Centre will handle aircraft integration, systems validation, testing, and certification for the AMCA programme, India’s most ambitious indigenous fighter jet initiative to date. The Andhra Pradesh government has allocated around 150 acres adjacent to the Puttaparthi airport runway for the core facility, along with an additional 200 acres for satellite offices, residential infrastructure, and support services. The state will also support the extension of the Puttaparthi runway to 10,000 feet , along with a new Air Traffic Control tower , navigation systems, and weather monitoring infrastructure.

Rajnath Singh said Puttaparthi would join the league of global destinations linked to fifth-generation aircraft development, calling it the “birthplace of an aircraft capable of annihilating the enemy in the blink of an eye.” The facility is expected to support around 140 fifth-generation stealth fighters , with the first prototype likely between late 2026 and early 2027 . It will also support future indigenous combat aircraft and unmanned aerial systems programmes, and is projected to generate around 7,500 high-skilled jobs .

The announcements went beyond the AMCA centrepiece. Singh and Naidu also laid the foundation for a ₹480-crore naval systems manufacturing facility of Bharat Dynamics Limited at T. Sirasapalli village in Anakapalli district, focused on autonomous underwater vehicles, underwater countermeasure systems and next-generation torpedoes. Groundbreaking was also held for a defence energetics facility of Agneyastra Energetics Limited, a subsidiary of Kalyani Strategic Systems Limited, and an ammunition and electric fuze plant of HFCL Limited at Madakasira in Sri Sathya Sai district. Eight drone companies also began operations under a dedicated Drone City in Kurnool .

Three private-sector consortia, Tata Advanced Systems Limited , a Larsen & Toubro–Bharat Electronics Limited-led consortium , and a Bharat Forge-led group including BEML and Data Patterns , are competing for the AMCA prototype development contract, with requests for proposals expected soon, according to the Defence Secretary.

Spread across Puttaparthi, Madakasira, Anakapalli and Kurnool , these projects aim to build an integrated aerospace and defence manufacturing corridor in southern India, linking emerging hubs with the established defence ecosystem in Bengaluru . With MoUs expected to be signed with the Andhra Pradesh government, the developments mark a significant step in strengthening India’s Atmanirbhar Bharat defence vision.