New Delhi: Reliance Industries Limited and British engineering major Rolls-Royce on Friday announced their strategic intent to jointly develop a sovereign, indigenous combat engine for India’s Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) programme.
The two companies said they would explore establishing a dedicated Aerospace Gas Turbine Complex in India, serving as a centre of excellence for power and propulsion technology. The proposed facility aims to combine Rolls-Royce’s global expertise in advanced engines with Reliance’s manufacturing scale and industrial execution capabilities, Reliance said in a press release.
The announcement was described as a step towards Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision for India’s defence ecosystem to develop an indigenous engine to power the country’s fighter jet programme.
Reliance Industries Executive Director Anant Ambani said that India’s strategic autonomy required sovereign capability in critical technologies. He said the intent behind the partnership was to combine Rolls-Royce’s world-leading expertise in advanced propulsion with Reliance’s technology, manufacturing scale and execution capabilities to build an indigenous aero-engine ecosystem in the country.
He added that the two companies aimed to create an enduring national capability that would make India self-reliant and, over time, globally competitive in advanced propulsion technologies, calling the initiative a contribution to the Prime Minister’s vision of an “Atmanirbhar Viksit Bharat.”
Rolls-Royce CEO Tufan Erginbilgiç said he welcomed the opportunity to join forces with Reliance Industries, bringing together the company’s century-long heritage in advanced engineering and proven engine expertise with Reliance’s homegrown leadership in Indian industry.
He said that, together with Rolls-Royce’s existing partnerships and capabilities in India, the collaboration marked a major milestone towards building a robust, self-reliant aerospace ecosystem in the country.
The companies said the proposed Aero Gas Turbine Complex would build sovereign, end-to-end Indian capability across design, development, manufacturing, testing, production and through-life support of engines. They added that the partnership could also unlock opportunities for wider collaboration across defence, civil aerospace, and new power and propulsion systems.
The alliance has been positioned as part of India’s broader “Atmanirbhar Bharat” vision for technology indigenisation, with both companies stating their aim to help position India as a global leader in advanced propulsion capabilities.
