HAL Out of India's 5th Gen Fighter Jet Project; New Companies to Build AMCA

• Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has been excluded from India's indigenous fifth-generation fighter jet (AMCA) project.
• This marks the first time HAL, a major public sector aerospace company, has been left out of such a crucial national fighter jet initiative.
• Seven public and private sector companies initially bid for the project; three have been selected for the next stage.
• The selected companies will now bid for the cost of five AMCA prototypes, with the lowest bidder securing the tender.
• The Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) of DRDO is developing the project, which received government approval and an initial allocation of 15,000 crore rupees last year.

Why It Matters: HAL is out of the AMCA project, with new public and private firms selected to develop India's 5th gen fighter jet.