India military transport aircraft procurement

The Indian Ministry of Defence has initiated a procurement program to acquire approximately 60 multirole or medium transport aircraft (MTA) for the Indian Air Force. Valued at roughly 100,000 crore rupees (US$10.4 billion), the project aims to modernize transport capabilities and replace the aging Soviet-era Antonov An-32 fleet.

The aircraft must be capable of operating from rough landing strips and high-altitude regions, such as Northeast India and Ladakh, to support missions including troop transport, cargo drops, and medical evacuations.

Under the ‘Make in India’ framework, the program emphasizes domestic manufacturing. While an initial portion of the fleet will be delivered in a ready-to-fly condition, subsequent units must meet indigenous content requirements, which are expected to scale from 40 percent to 60 percent through joint ventures between Indian firms and global manufacturers.

Key participants and partnerships include Lockheed Martin and Tata Advanced Systems Limited for the C-130J, and Embraer and Mahindra Defence for the C-390 Millennium. Other potential contenders include Airbus, Adani Defence, Reliance Defence, and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).