Reliance, Rolls-Royce join hands to develop indigenous AMCA fighter jet engine in India

Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) and British aerospace major Rolls-Royce have announced their strategic intent to partner on the design, development, manufacturing and delivery of a sovereign indigenous combat engine for India's Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) programme.

The proposed partnership will bring together Rolls-Royce's expertise in advanced propulsion technology and Reliance's technology, manufacturing, scale and execution capabilities to support the joint development of the fighter aircraft engine in India.

The development marks a significant move in India's efforts to build domestic capabilities in advanced aero engines, a critical area for the country's push towards greater self-reliance in defence manufacturing.

Gas turbine complex planned

As part of the proposed partnership, Reliance and Rolls-Royce will explore setting up a dedicated Aerospace Gas Turbine Complex in India, which is envisaged as a centre of excellence for power and propulsion technologies.

The proposed facility will seek to establish end-to-end Indian capabilities covering the design, development, manufacturing, testing, production and through-life support of aero engines.

The companies said the collaboration would combine Rolls-Royce's global engine expertise with Reliance's industrial strengths. The proposed complex could also provide opportunities for wider cooperation across defence, civil aerospace and new power and propulsion systems.

Reliance Industries Executive Director Anant Ambani said India's strategic autonomy required sovereign capability in critical technologies.

"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," Ambani said.

He said the objective was to create an enduring national capability that could make India self-reliant and, over time, globally competitive in advanced propulsion technologies.

Boost to aerospace ecosystem

Rolls-Royce plc CEO Tufan Erginbilgiç welcomed the opportunity to partner with Reliance, saying the collaboration would combine the British company's long-standing advanced engineering and engine expertise with Reliance's position in Indian industry.

He said the partnership, together with Rolls-Royce's existing capabilities and collaborations in India, represented a major step towards building a robust and self-reliant aerospace ecosystem in the country.

The AMCA is India's programme to develop a fifth-generation stealth fighter aircraft and is regarded as one of the country's most ambitious indigenous aerospace projects. The development of an advanced combat engine is a crucial component of India's broader effort to reduce dependence on imported propulsion technology.

The Reliance-Rolls-Royce announcement comes as India seeks to expand indigenous capabilities across critical defence technologies and strengthen domestic aerospace manufacturing under the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative.