New Delhi: India on Wednesday extended deadline for opening bids for its biggest ever global tenders for purchase of 126 fighter aircraft by another eight weeks.

The last date for receiving bids for the contract which may run upto $10 billion was 3 March. Under the contract, India is to buy 18 fighters off the shelf and manufacture 108 in the country under technology transfer.

Though defence ministry officials did not specify reasons for extending the deadline, sources said opening of the bids has been put off on the request of some of the bidders.

Six Major companies, Lockheed Martin and Boeing from US, Gripen from Sweden, Rafale from Dassault, Eurofighter of the EADS and Russian Mig-35, are in contention for the deal.

The putting off of the opening of the bids even took the companies by surprise.

Lockheed Martin and Boeing said their Executives were almost emplaning when they were told that the date for submitting the Request For Proposals has been put off.