- Reliance Industries Limited (Reliance) and Rolls-Royce announced their strategic intent to partner and offer capabilities for the design, development, manufacturing and delivery of a sovereign indigenous combat engine for India’s Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) programme.
- The partnership will explore the formation of a dedicated Aerospace Gas Turbine Complex that will be a centre of excellence for power and propulsion technology in India.
- The engine is intended for the AMCA, a twin-engine stealth fighter, with a prototype expected to roll out in 2028.
- The announcement positions Rolls-Royce against France's Safran, which has proposed a joint venture with India's state-run GTRE for a higher-thrust engine for later AMCA versions.
- The partnership will offer a compelling proposition for joint development of the AMCA engine in India, bringing together world-leading technology and industrial execution capabilities.
- This marks a step towards realising the vision set out by the Hon’ble Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi, for India’s defence ecosystem to deliver an indigenous engine to power the country’s fighter jet programme.
- Reliance’s intent with Rolls-Royce is to combine their world-leading expertise in advanced propulsion with Reliance’s technology, manufacturing, scale and execution capabilities to build an indigenous aero-engine ecosystem in India, contributing to the Prime Minister’s vision of an Atmanirbhar Viksit Bharat.
- Rolls-Royce welcomes the opportunity to join forces with Reliance, bringing together its century-long heritage in advanced engineering and proven engine expertise with Reliance’s homegrown leadership in Indian industry, marking a major milestone towards building a robust, self-reliant aerospace ecosystem in the country.
- By combining Rolls-Royce’s global leadership in engines with Reliance’s industrial strengths, the Aero Gas Turbine Complex will build sovereign, end-to-end Indian capability across design, development, manufacturing, testing, production and through-life support.
- The alliance will support India’s ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ vision for technology indigenisation and help position the country as a global leader in advanced propulsion capabilities, while unlocking opportunities for wider collaborations across defence, civil aerospace, and new power and propulsion systems.
Reliance Industries Limited and Rolls-Royce have announced a strategic partnership to develop an indigenous combat engine for India's Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) programme, with a prototype expected by 2028. This initiative is part of India's broader goal to enhance its defense capabilities and reduce dependence on foreign technology.134
The partnership aims to establish a dedicated Aerospace Gas Turbine Complex in India, which will serve as a center of excellence for power and propulsion technology. Reliance Executive Director Anant Ambani stated, “Our intent with Rolls-Royce is to combine their world-leading expertise in advanced propulsion with Reliance's technology, manufacturing, scale and execution capabilities to build an indigenous aero-engine ecosystem in India.”28
This collaboration is significant as it aligns with Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi's vision for an Atmanirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India), aiming to create a sovereign capability in critical technologies. The partnership also positions Rolls-Royce against competitors like Safran, which is pursuing its own joint venture for the AMCA engine.
The AMCA is expected to play a crucial role in India's future air combat strategy, addressing current supply chain issues faced by manufacturers like Hindustan Aeronautics, which has struggled with engine deliveries from General Electric. The collaboration is poised to unlock further opportunities across defense and civil aerospace sectors, enhancing India's position in advanced propulsion technologies.
As stated by Rolls-Royce, “Together, with our existing partnerships and capabilities in India, this marks a major milestone towards building a robust, self-reliant aerospace ecosystem in the country.”
“The partnership will explore a dedicated Aerospace Gas Turbine Complex to build end-to-end Indian capability, aligning with PM Modi's Atmanirbhar Bharat vision. It also pits Rolls-Royce against France's Safran, which proposed a joint venture with India's GTRE for a higher-thrust engine for later AMCA versions.”
