Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has exited the competition to develop and manufacture India's Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) stealth fighter, according to reports from journalists @manupubby and @rahulsinghx cited by @livefist on X at approximately 4:16 AM UTC on February 4, 2026, during the reporting window from 3:16 AM to 5:16 AM UTC. This marks India's first purely private sector-driven combat aircraft effort. The @livefist post, timestamped within this 2-hour period, highlights the development as significant, building on an earlier Economic Times report from the prior window confirming HAL's withdrawal. No official statements from HAL or the Indian Ministry of Defence were issued in this window to confirm the exit or provide further details. The AMCA program seeks to produce an indigenous fifth-generation stealth multirole fighter jet. HAL's departure opens the competition to private sector firms, as noted in the consensus of reports from The Economic Times and the cited X posts during the early hours of February 4.
