Rajnath Singh avoids naming the firm, but reports point to Safran
Indian Air Force’s Rafale fighter jets fly past during the “Aero India 2021” air show at Yelahanka air base in Bengaluru, India, February 3, 2021. —Reuters
India is teaming up with a French company to develop and produce fighter jet engines domestically, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh announced.
Singh approved the prototype of a 5th-generation Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) in May, calling it a “major step toward strengthening India’s indigenous defence capabilities.”
In a speech at a New Delhi conference on Friday, Singh shared more details about plans to produce fighter jet engines within India.
“We are moving forward to manufacture aircraft engines in India itself,” Singh said, according to Indian media reports. “We are collaborating with a French company to start engine production in India.”
The minister did not name the company, but Indian media widely report it to be Safran, a French aviation and defence firm that has operated in India for decades. No official confirmation was immediately available.
India, one of the world’s largest arms importers, has prioritized modernizing its military while boosting domestic arms production.
The country has strengthened defence ties with Western nations, including through the Quad alliance with the United States, Japan, and Australia.
In April, India signed a multi-billion-dollar deal to acquire 26 Rafale fighter jets from France’s Dassault Aviation. These will join 36 Rafale jets already in service and replace older Russian MiG-29K aircraft.
Singh has also pledged at least $100 billion in new domestic military hardware contracts by 2033 to support local defence manufacturing.
This decade, India has launched a large new helicopter factory, its first domestically built aircraft carrier, several warships and submarines, and successfully tested a long-range hypersonic missile.
New Delhi remains cautious of threats from multiple countries, especially Pakistan. The two nations clashed in a four-day conflict in May, marking their most serious standoff since 1999.
