The Defence Ministry on Wednesday (August 12, 2026) issued a tender worth around ₹1 lakh crore for 60 multirole transport aircraft (MTA) for the Indian Air Force (IAF), in a major push to replace its ageing fleet of cargo and transport aircraft and expand its strategic airlift capability. The tender has been issued to multiple Indian companies, including Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and private sector defence majors, a senior Defence Ministry official said. The domestically produced aircraft are expected to have more than 60% indigenous content and would be built through joint ventures between Indian companies and the OEMs. Separately, the force is inducting the C-295 transport aircraft under a programme involving Airbus and Tata, with around 70 aircraft planned for the IAF and the majority of them to be manufactured in India. The IAF has also issued a tender for 114 multirole fighter aircraft under its long-pending fighter modernisation programme.