The Ministry of Defence has floated a major tender worth around ₹1 lakh crore for 60 medium transport aircraft for the Indian Air Force (IAF), marking a significant step towards strengthening the country’s military airlift capabilities and modernising its transport fleet.
The proposed aircraft will be capable of carrying between 18 and 30 tonnes of cargo, giving the IAF a modern platform for transporting troops, military equipment, supplies and other essential assets. The acquisition is expected to improve the service’s ability to rapidly move forces and equipment across different operational theatres.
The procurement programme also places strong emphasis on domestic manufacturing. Indian defence companies including Tata Advanced Systems, Mahindra Defence, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and Adani Defence & Aerospace are expected to participate, with global aircraft manufacturers partnering Indian firms under the programme.
Tata Advanced Systems has partnered with Lockheed Martin, which could offer the C-130J Super Hercules, while Mahindra Defence has partnered with Embraer for the C-390 Millennium. Both platforms are established military transport aircraft designed for tactical and strategic airlift missions.
Under the proposed arrangement, a significant majority of the aircraft would be manufactured in India. Reports indicate that around 20 percent could be supplied in fly-away condition, while the remaining aircraft would be produced domestically. The locally manufactured aircraft are also expected to achieve a substantial level of indigenous content.
The programme is expected to support India’s broader Make in India and defence self-reliance objectives by creating new opportunities for domestic aerospace manufacturing, component production, maintenance and long-term aircraft support.
The new transport aircraft could also provide the IAF with greater operational flexibility. Apart from troop and cargo transportation, the platforms could potentially support specialised missions, including aerial refuelling, depending on the final configuration selected by the Indian Air Force.
The tender comes as the IAF continues a broader modernisation drive involving fighter aircraft, transport platforms, trainers and other critical capabilities. The addition of 60 new medium transport aircraft would provide a major boost to India’s strategic and tactical airlift capacity and help address the service’s long-term mobility requirements.
The procurement process is expected to involve detailed technical and operational evaluations before the final aircraft and Indian industrial partner are selected. Given the scale of the programme and the requirement for extensive domestic manufacturing, the project could also become an important milestone in the development of India’s indigenous military aviation ecosystem.
The ₹1 lakh crore transport aircraft programme therefore represents more than just a fleet modernisation effort. It could strengthen the IAF’s ability to rapidly deploy personnel and equipment while simultaneously expanding India’s capabilities to manufacture and support advanced military aircraft within the country.