India seals $7bn agreement with France to build powerful AMCA fighter jet engine
India has sealed a landmark agreement with France to co-develop a next-generation fighter jet engine, powerful enough to propel the country’s first indigenously designed stealth aircraft into…
August 25, 2025
India has sealed a landmark agreement with France to co-develop a next-generation fighter jet engine, powerful enough to propel the country’s first indigenously designed stealth aircraft into the elite league of 5th-generation combat aviation.
At the heart of this transformative partnership lies a 120-kilonewton jet engine, to be jointly designed and manufactured by French aerospace major Safran and Indian defence agencies.
Set to be completed over the next decade, the engine will eventually power the second tranche of the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA), India’s flagship stealth fighter programme, expected to redefine the future of the Indian Air Force.
Announced under a government-to-government framework, the engine development project is valued at approximately ₹610 billion ($7 billion).
The 120 kN engine is expected to be ready within a decade, with the first test flight targeted for 2028 and serial production slated to begin by 2035.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh confirmed the development at an event over the weekend: “Today, we have also taken steps forward in the direction of building 5th-generation fighter aircraft. We are about to start engine manufacturing work in India with the French company Safran.”
India’s AMCA fighter jet gets a strategic boost with Safran
The new engine will power the second tranche of the AMCA, being developed by the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA).
The first tranche of AMCA prototypes and initial operational squadrons are expected to fly with GE’s F414-INS6 engines, supplied under a separate deal with the United States.
However, the partnership with Safran marks India’s most significant effort yet to reduce its long-term reliance on foreign propulsion technology.
The new engine will be tailored specifically to meet AMCA’s demanding performance requirements: high thrust, stealth compatibility, and super-manoeuvrability.
The announcement comes after years of deliberation between competing proposals from Safran, Rolls-Royce (UK), and General Electric (US).
A high-level technical committee ultimately found Safran’s offer to be most aligned with India’s broader strategic and industrial goals, including domestic manufacturing and technology transfer.
The deal includes complete technology transfer
Sources indicate that Safran’s proposal includes the creation of a full engine development and manufacturing ecosystem in India, going beyond the AMCA programme.
The partnership is expected to result in five prototype engines by 2027, followed by rigorous flight testing and eventual certification.
In parallel, Safran is also setting up a Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facility in Hyderabad for the Rafale’s M88 engine, marking the first such facility outside France.
This reinforces the growing French footprint in India’s aerospace domain, particularly after the Rafale induction into both the Air Force and Navy.
The engine initiative falls under the India-France Horizon 2047 strategic roadmap, which outlines key areas of cooperation over the next two decades.
Notably, 2026 will be celebrated as the ‘Year of Innovation’ between the two countries, providing further momentum to joint defence R&D.
What we know about the AMCA fighter so far
With a projected top speed of Mach 1.8 and dual operational modes, stealth and non-stealth, the AMCA is being positioned as a cutting-edge platform capable of operating in contested environments.
In stealth mode, it can carry up to 1.5 tonnes of weapons internally; in non-stealth mode, payload capacity increases to 5 tonnes through external hardpoints.
The engine project is not only critical for AMCA but also seen as India’s post-Kaveri strategy. After the Defence Research and Development Organisation’s (DRDO) Kaveri engine faced development setbacks, India has shifted to collaborative models for engine development.
A modified version of Kaveri is now being explored for unmanned aerial platforms.
With more than 250 next-generation engines required to power both Air Force and naval variants of AMCA in the coming decades, the India-France collaboration ensures sustained capacity building and long-term self-sufficiency.
AMCA will forgo adaptive cycle technology
While the new 120 kN engine is envisioned to meet the demanding performance requirements of a 5th-generation fighter, it is not expected to incorporate adaptive cycle technology, a cutting-edge propulsion approach currently being pursued in the United States.
Adaptive cycle engines offer variable bypass ratios for greater fuel efficiency and mission flexibility, but involve significant design complexity and longer development cycles.
By contrast, the India-France programme is focusing on a proven twin-spool turbofan configuration, favouring speed to market, reduced technical risk, and manufacturing feasibility over unproven innovations.
This approach reflects India’s immediate need to field the AMCA within set timelines, while still ensuring competitive thrust, stealth compatibility, and maintainability.
Beyond technical gains, the deal is a clear signal of deepening Indo-French strategic ties, at a time when India is recalibrating its defence partnerships amid shifting geopolitical dynamics.
France has emerged as a key ally, willing to share sensitive technology and co-develop critical systems, a stance that aligns closely with India’s self-reliant mission.
By securing the technological backbone for AMCA’s second tranche, India is not only safeguarding the future of its fifth-generation fighter programme but also laying the groundwork for a truly indigenous aerospace ecosystem.
