Reliance, Rolls-Royce to co-develop AMCA fighter jet engines

Reliance Industries and Rolls-Royce announced on Friday a partnership to design, develop, and manufacture a sovereign combat engine for India's Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA). The companies plan to set up a dedicated aerospace gas turbine complex in India, aiming to build end-to-end indigenous capability across design, testing, production, and through-life support, as per a joint statement.

The Economic Times notes this marks a rare defence foray for the Mukesh Ambani-led conglomerate, which has largely stayed away from the sector. Anant Ambani, RIL executive director, linked the partnership to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Atmanirbhar Bharat vision, while Rolls-Royce CEO Tufan Erginbilgic called it a major milestone. The firms did not disclose investment or timeline.

Times of India reports that the Aeronautical Development Agency is managing the AMCA project and initially plans to use imported US GE F414 engines for five prototypes under a Rs 15,000-crore programme. The Economic Times adds that French firm Safran, already shortlisted for next-generation fighter engines, will be a major challenger to this new partnership.