India Shifts Focus to Indigenous AMCA Stealth Fighter, Rejects New Su‑57 Purchase

India's defence ministry has confirmed that the Indian Air Force will not acquire additional Russian Sukhoi variants, including the Su‑57 fifth‑generation stealth fighter. Instead, the service will continue to rely on its licensed Su‑30MKI fleet while accelerating development of the home‑grown Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA). Private partners Tata Advanced Systems, Larsen & Toubro and Bharat Forge are slated to build five prototype AMCA airframes, with the first expected to be assembled in 2027, rolled out in 2028 and to fly by 2029, entering service in the mid‑2030s.

The decision comes amid heightened regional competition. China’s export‑ready J‑35 stealth jet is being considered by Pakistan, a move that has revived U.S. strategic discussions about offering the F‑35 Lightning‑II to India. Indian officials, however, remain reluctant to purchase foreign fifth‑generation aircraft, preferring technology transfer and domestic production under the "Make in India" policy. The emerging Pakistani interest in the J‑35 would extend Chinese air power into South Asia, further underscoring India's reliance on its indigenous programme while its own fifth‑generation capability remains years away.