L&T and BEL Join Hands to Support India’s Advanced Combat Aircraft Programme

New Delhi, Sep 24 (KNN) Engineering giant Larsen & Toubro (L&T) has entered into a strategic partnership with Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) to contribute to the Indian Air Force’s Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) programme.

In a regulatory filing on Wednesday, L&T said the newly formed consortium will respond to the Expression of Interest (EoI) floated by the Aeronautical Development Agency under the Ministry of Defence. The companies are expected to submit their proposal in the coming weeks.

The collaboration aims to bring together L&T’s strengths in defence aerospace and system integration with BEL’s expertise in defence electronics. Together, the firms intend to support the development of India’s first indigenously built 5th-generation fighter aircraft.

S N Subrahmanyan, Chairman and Managing Director of L&T, described the partnership as a “significant step” in advancing India’s defence modernisation.

“Both organisations are leaders in our respective domains, and our combined efforts will be vital in strengthening national security and promoting self-reliance in defence technologies,” he said.

The Indian government has been emphasising domestic defence production, with annual capital expenditure of $25–30 billion planned over the next decade.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has previously stated that private players should account for at least 50% of the country’s defence production, highlighting the importance of public-private partnerships in this sector.

The AMCA programme, one of India’s most ambitious defence projects, aims to replace the ageing fleet of Mirage-2000 and Jaguar fighter jets. The Air Force plans to induct around 125–140 AMCA units during the 2030s.

Manoj Jain, Chairman and Managing Director of BEL, said, “Our collaboration with L&T is a crucial step in realising this vision. Together, we aim to deliver a world-class fighter aircraft that will serve the Indian Air Force for decades to come.”

(KNN Bureau)