India has moved forward with a major effort to modernize its tactical airlift fleet after the Defence Procurement Board approved a proposal to acquire 60 transport aircraft for the Indian Air Force.
Estimated at about 1 trillion rupees ($10.9 billion), the program will now be reviewed by the Defence Acquisition Council before a formal tender is issued.
The aircraft will be procured under New Delhi’s “Buy and Make” framework, which combines direct imports with domestic production, according to local media.
Under the current plan, 12 aircraft would be delivered in ready-to-fly condition, while the remaining 48 would be assembled in partnership with domestic industry partners in India, with the majority of components including indigenous products.
The new fleet is intended to replace the Indian Air Force’s aging Soviet-era transports such as the Antonov An-32 and Ilyushin Il-76, which have been in service since the 1980s and are becoming increasingly difficult to maintain.
Once commissioned, the modern planes are set to improve the military’s logistics capabilities, enabling rapid troop deployment, cargo transport, and supply missions.
It will also be used across remote and high-altitude areas, including border locations such as Ladakh, an eastern portion of the disputed Kashmir region.
Potential Bidders
Local sources expect several global aerospace companies to compete for the contract, including European enterprise Airbus, which is likely to offer the A400M Atlas, and US-based Lockheed Martin with its C-130J Super Hercules alongside Tata Advanced Systems.
Brazil’s Embraer is also anticipated to join the program with its C-390 Millennium in partnership with Mahindra Defence.
Russia’s government-run Ilyushin might also enter the competition with support from New Delhi’s state corporation Hindustan Aeronautics Limited.
Currently, the South Asian country is engaged with Airbus for the delivery of up to 56 C-295 logistics aircraft to the Indian Air Force, parts of which are to be constructed locally.
The military currently has 12 C-130J Super Hercules military transport aircraft in its inventory.
