Reliance Industries Limited and Rolls-Royce on Friday announced a 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, in a move aimed at building an end-to-end aerospace propulsion capability in the country.
As part of the proposed partnership, the two companies will explore setting up a dedicated Aerospace Gas Turbine Complex in India, which they said would serve as a centre of excellence for power and propulsion technology.
The companies said the partnership would bring together Rolls-Royce’s expertise in advanced propulsion with Reliance’s technology, manufacturing, scale and execution capabilities.
Reliance, Rolls-Royce target end-to-end engine capability
According to the companies, the proposed Aerospace Gas Turbine Complex would be aimed at developing a sovereign Indian capability covering the entire lifecycle of an aero-engine. This would include design, development, manufacturing, testing, production and through-life support.
The partnership is intended to provide a proposition for the joint development of the AMCA engine in India while supporting the country’s broader push towards technology indigenisation.
Reliance Industries Executive Director Anant Ambani said the development of critical technologies was important for India’s strategic autonomy.
Ambani said the proposed partnership would combine Rolls-Royce’s expertise in advanced propulsion with Reliance’s industrial capabilities. “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,” he said.
He added that the objective was to establish a long-term national capability rather than simply develop an individual engine programme.
“Together, we aim to build an enduring national capability that can make India self-reliant and, over time, globally competitive in advanced propulsion technologies,” Ambani said.
Rolls-Royce brings advanced propulsion expertise
For Rolls-Royce, the proposed partnership would bring its experience in advanced engineering and engine technology together with Reliance’s industrial capabilities in India. Tufan Erginbilgic, CEO of Rolls-Royce plc, said the company would be combining its engineering heritage and engine expertise with Reliance’s presence in Indian industry.
“I welcome the opportunity to join forces with Reliance Industries, bringing together our century-long heritage in advanced engineering and proven engine expertise with their homegrown leadership in Indian industry,” he said.
Erginbilgiç described the proposed collaboration as an important step towards strengthening India’s aerospace ecosystem.
“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,” he said.
Proposed complex to cover design to through-life support
The companies said the proposed Aerospace Gas Turbine Complex would be designed to create capabilities across the complete engine lifecycle. That would cover design and development at the front end, followed by manufacturing and testing, production and through-life support.
The companies said this approach would create an end-to-end Indian capability in power and propulsion technology.
The proposed complex could also provide a platform for exploring wider collaborations in other areas. According to the companies, these could include defence, civil aerospace, and new power and propulsion systems.
Part of India’s technology indigenisation push
The partnership has been positioned by the companies as a contribution to India’s Atmanirbhar Bharat vision, particularly in the area of advanced technology. Reliance said the proposed collaboration would seek to build an indigenous aero-engine ecosystem in India and eventually support the country’s emergence as a global player in advanced propulsion capabilities.
“This is our contribution to the Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s vision of an Atmanirbhar Viksit Bharat,” Ambani said.
The companies said combining Rolls-Royce’s global engine capabilities with Reliance’s industrial strengths would support India’s efforts to build sovereign capabilities in advanced propulsion.
Potential opportunities beyond AMCA
While the immediate focus of the proposed partnership is the combat engine for India’s AMCA programme, Reliance and Rolls-Royce said the alliance could eventually extend beyond the fighter aircraft programme. The companies said they would explore opportunities across defence, civil aerospace and new power and propulsion systems.
This would potentially widen the scope of the proposed Aerospace Gas Turbine Complex beyond a single application and create a wider industrial base for power and propulsion technologies in India.
Reliance said the proposed partnership aims to establish an enduring capability that could eventually make India competitive globally in advanced propulsion technologies.
Reliance’s growing industrial capabilities
Reliance Industries said its activities span hydrocarbon exploration and production, petroleum refining and marketing, petrochemicals, advanced materials and composites, renewables including solar and hydrogen, retail, digital services, and media and entertainment.
For the financial year ended March 31, 2026, RIL reported consolidated revenue of Rs 11,75,919 crore, cash profit of Rs 1,71,258 crore and net profit of Rs 95,754 crore, according to the media release. The company said it was ranked 85th in Fortune’s 2026 Global 500 list and 55th in the Forbes Global 2000 rankings.
Rolls-Royce’s global operations
Rolls-Royce said it has a presence in 47 countries and customers in more than 100 countries, including airlines, aircraft leasing companies, armed forces and navies, and marine and industrial customers. The company reported underlying revenue of £20.1 billion in 2025, with underlying operating profit of £3.46 billion.