Ending a monopoly

Pvt sector deserves a bigger role in warplane production

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India has long planned to build an indigenous fifth-generation fighter plane, in a project called the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft, or Amca. Since 2010, when the first feasibility study for a twin-engine stealth plane was launched, it was assumed that it would be manufactured primarily by Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL), the state-owned firm headquartered in Bengaluru. The Ministry of Defence this week, however, approved an execution model for the Amca programme, which says that the Defence Research and Development Organisation's Aeronautical Development Agency will supervise the project, but include both the private and public sectors in its execution. In other words, Indian companies will be permitted to bid for tenders related to both developing and manufacturing the aircraft, though currently only a prototype will be expected. They are also permitted to form joint ventures or consortia before they bid. The ministry thinks that this is "a significant push towards enhancing India's indigenous defence capabilities and fostering a ro