Lockheed Martin is offering to deepen its industrial footprint in India if its bid wins the Indian Air Force’s 60-aircraft medium transport programme, estimated at roughly ₹87,150 crore. The American company is partnering with TASL, continuing a relationship already established through Indian production of C-130J components and empennages. The tender involves five major Indian companies—TASL, Mahindra Group, Adani Defence & Aerospace, HAL and Reliance Defence—each working with an international aircraft manufacturer. Lockheed Martin’s proposal calls for 12 aircraft to be supplied directly, while another 48 would be manufactured in India. The company also wants to upgrade India’s existing 12 C-130Js to the same advanced standard. This could ultimately provide the IAF with a standardized fleet of 72 aircraft, offering potential benefits in training, maintenance and logistics. India’s current C-130J fleet has already accumulated more than 58,000 flight hours and has been used in challenging missions ranging from high-altitude operations to humanitarian assistance and the 2023 Sudan evacuation. Lockheed Martin views its existing Indian manufacturing base as a foundation for further expansion. The competition could therefore influence not only the IAF’s future tactical transport capability but also India’s ambitions to develop a larger domestic aerospace production ecosystem.
