Reliance, Rolls-Royce partner to co-develop fighter jet engine for 5th gen AMCA project

(file photo) This marks a step towards realising the vision set out by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi for India’s defence ecosystem to deliver an indigenous engine to power the country’s fighter jet programme.

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Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) and Rolls-Royce have announced strategic intent to partner and develop India’s indigenous combat engine for the fifth generation Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) programme. The announcement came at a time when the government is still to decide on co-production of indigenous fighter jet engine to achieve domestic self-reliance in military aviation propulsion.Rolls-Royce had earlier expressed keenness to participate in the government programme to find a foreign original equipment manufacturer (OEM) for collaboration with Defence Research and Development Organisation’s (DRDO’s) Gas Turbine Research Establishment (GTRE) for co-development of a 120 kN high-thrust engine. Others in the race include Safran. Rolls-Royce’s offer incorporates 100 per cent Transfer of Technology (ToT)—including critical “know-how” and “know-why” for hot-section metallurgy and single-crystal blade design.“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,” both the companies stated in a statement.initial prototypesThe initial prototypes of AMCA will use imported US General Electric GE-F414 engines while later fleet as well as AMCA Mk-2 variants are expected to powered by the indigenous co-developed 120 kN engine.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, as per the statement. This marks a step towards realising the vision set out by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi for India’s defence ecosystem to deliver an indigenous engine to power the country’s fighter jet programme.Reacting to the development, Anant Ambani, Executive Director, Reliance Industries Ltd, said, “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.”“Together, we aim to build an enduring national capability that can make India self-reliant and, over time, globally competitive in advanced propulsion technologies,” he added.While Tufan Erginbilgiç, CEO, Rolls-Royce plc, stated: “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.”“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 observed.Published on August 14, 2026