Reliance Industries, Rolls-Royce ink pact to develop indigenous combat engine for AMCA; everything investors need to know

As part of the partnership, Reliance and Rolls-Royce 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 companies said in a joint statement.

RIL further said that the proposed partnership will offer a compelling proposition for joint development of the AMCA engine in India, bringing together world-leading technology and industrial execution capabilities.

“India’s strategic autonomy requires 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,” said Anant Ambani, Executive Director, Reliance Industries.

Further, by combining Rolls-Royce’s global leadership in engines with the established industrial strengths of Reliance, the Aero Gas Turbine Complex will build sovereign, end-to-end Indian capability across design, development, manufacturing, testing, production and through-life support, the companies said.

The companies said the partnership could also pave the way for broader collaboration in defence, civil aerospace, and new power and propulsion systems beyond the AMCA engine programme.

Rolls-Royce Chief Executive Officer Tufan Erginbilgic said the alliance brings together "our century-long heritage in advanced engineering and proven engine expertise" with Reliance's standing in Indian industry, calling it “a major milestone towards building a robust, self-reliant aerospace ecosystem in the country.”

The AMCA is India's indigenous fifth-generation stealth fighter programme; developing a domestically produced engine for it has been a longstanding goal of the country's defence establishment, which currently relies on foreign suppliers for fighter engines.

The proposed Aerospace Gas Turbine Complex would aim to develop end-to-end capabilities in India spanning design, development, manufacturing, testing, production and through-life support, the companies said.

On Friday, Reliance Industries shares settled at ₹1,310 apiece on the National Stock Exchange, falling 0.53%. The development, however, came after the market hours.