At the same time that India is promoting the “Make in India” programme in the defence industry, New Delhi is holding crucial negotiations with France and the United States of America about the production of the engines for its upcoming domestic fighter jet projects.

Government officials told India Today that negotiations with the US are ongoing regarding the General Electric (GE) engines for the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) MK2, while the French proposal is for a powerful engine for the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA).

According to officials speaking to India Today, the engines are essential for India because it wants to manufacture all of its upcoming fighter aircraft here as part of the “Make in India” initiative.

The first flight of the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) may take seven years, and the induction may take ten years, whereas the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Mk2 is anticipated to be ready for induction by 2028.

In addition to his trip to the USA in June of next year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will travel to France in July to take part in the French National Day celebrations. The Indian side is assessing the performance of both the jet engines and the price-related factors, as well as the degree of technology transfer and local manufacturing in India.

The two main fighter aircraft being manufactured in India at the moment are the LCA Tejas Mk2 and AMCA. Indian lenders would collaborate with foreign defence companies to produce the nation’s first advanced fighter jets outside the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) facilities as part of India’s plans to produce 114 multirole fighter aircraft.

(This article is original to India Today and has only been revised by Bharat Express Team)