The Defence Procurement Board (DPB) has cleared a proposal for the acquisition of 60 medium transport aircraft for the Indian Air Force (IAF), advancing a long-pending plan to modernise its tactical airlift fleet.
The programme, estimated to cost around ₹1 lakh crore, will be pursued under the “Buy and Make” route. Under the plan, 12 aircraft will be acquired in flyaway condition, while the remaining 48 will be manufactured in India in collaboration with domestic industry, defence sources said.
The new aircraft are intended to replace the ageing Antonov An-32 fleet, which was inducted in the mid-1980s and now faces growing maintenance challenges and shrinking availability of spare parts. The aircraft are also expected to assume some roles currently performed by the ageing Il-76 transport aircraft, helping streamline the IAF’s transport fleet.
The medium transport aircraft will bridge the operational gap between light transport platforms and heavy-lift aircraft, enabling the IAF to sustain troop deployments, move equipment and support operations in challenging terrains. The aircraft must be capable of operating in high-altitude environments and from short or semi-prepared runways, including Advanced Landing Grounds in Ladakh and the Northeast.
Experience during the Eastern Ladakh military standoff highlighted the critical role of airlift capability in rapidly sustaining forces in remote high-altitude areas where surface mobility is limited.
According to sources, the competition for the programme is likely to feature three major contenders. Brazil’s Embraer, in partnership with Mahindra Defence, is offering the C-390 Millennium, a jet-powered aircraft with a payload capacity of around 26 tonnes.
Lockheed Martin has proposed the C-130J Super Hercules, which is already in service with the IAF and benefits from an existing logistics ecosystem and manufacturing partnership with Tata Advanced Systems.
Meanwhile, Airbus has put forward the A400M Atlas, a larger aircraft capable of carrying over 30 tonnes, though its capacity places it above the IAF’s current requirement range.
Officials say the final decision will depend not only on operational capability but also on technology transfer, domestic production and long-term sustainment ecosystem, reflecting India’s push for defence indigenisation.
With the DPB’s approval, the proposal is expected to move next to the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) for Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) before entering the tendering and evaluation phase.
