What happened
The Ministry of Defence floated a tender estimated at about ₹1 lakh crore for the Indian Air Force to procure 60 multirole transport aircraft. The procurement is meant to replace the ageing Indian Air Force cargo and transport fleet and to expand strategic airlift capacity.
The procurement plan reported in the material splits the 60-aircraft requirement for induction and production. About one-fifth of the aircraft are planned to be inducted ready-to-fly, while the remaining four-fifths are planned to be manufactured domestically in India through joint ventures between Indian companies and the OEMs.
For the domestically manufactured aircraft, the material states an indigenous-content expectation of over 60%. The material describes multirole transport aircraft as enabling long-distance movement of troops and equipment, and it notes potential configuration for aerial refuelling (tanker-like capability).
The material links the multirole transport aircraft procurement to broader Indian Air Force modernisation. The material also mentions ongoing efforts to procure additional fighters and to replace ageing trainer aircraft.