NEW DELHI: Reliance Industries and British aero-engine major Rolls-Royce have announced their strategic intent to jointly develop and manufacture an indigenous combat-aircraft engine for India’s Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA), adding a new contender to the race for the powerplant of the flagship fifth-generation fighter.
The proposed partnership is not a government selection or an engine contract. The two companies said they would explore setting up a dedicated Aerospace Gas Turbine Complex in India to build capabilities spanning design, development, manufacturing, testing, production and through-life support.
The announcement comes as a separate proposal by French engine maker Safran and DRDO’s Gas Turbine Research Establishment (GTRE) for a high-thrust AMCA engine is being processed by the government and awaits final Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) approval.
“India’s strategic autonomy requires sovereign capability in critical technologies,” Reliance Industries executive director Anant Ambani said in a joint statement issued Friday, adding that the partnership would combine Rolls-Royce’s propulsion expertise with Reliance’s technology, manufacturing and execution capabilities to build an indigenous aero-engine ecosystem.
Rolls-Royce CEO Tufan Erginbilgiç said the partnership, alongside the company’s existing presence in India, marked “a major milestone towards building a robust, self-reliant aerospace ecosystem in the country”.
The latest move comes as India seeks to overcome a longstanding weakness in combat aviation. Its indigenous Kaveri engine programme, developed by GTRE since the 1980s, failed to meet the performance requirements for the Tejas, leaving the IAF dependent on imported engines.
The initial tranche of the AMCA or the AMCA Mk1 is planned to fly with the American GE F414 engine, for which India is negotiating local production. The subsequent Mk2 is expected to require a more powerful 110-130kN class engine with supercruise capability.
The proposed indigenous engine is therefore critical to India’s effort to develop an end-to-end combat-aircraft capability, rather than merely assemble foreign-designed fighters.
Rolls-Royce had submitted its final proposal for the AMCA engine in June, offering full technology transfer and Indian intellectual property. Its proposal envisages engine-core testing by 2030, first flight by 2034 and production by 2036 if a contract is signed by the end of 2026.
The Safran-GTRE proposal is being pursued separately, with technology transfer, intellectual property and development costs among the issues under discussion.
The AMCA is central to the IAF’s plans to rebuild its fighter strength. The service currently operates around 29 fighter squadrons against an authorised 42.5.
The government cleared the AMCA design and prototype development phase in March 2024 at Rs 15,000 crore and subsequently opened the execution model to private-sector competition. The Aeronautical Development Agency has shortlisted three Indian-led teams for prototype development.
Rolls-Royce already has an industrial partnership with Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd for aero-engine components and supplies engines for the IAF’s Hawk advanced jet trainers.