Reliance Industries shares will be in focus on Monday after the conglomerate announced plans to partner with British aerospace and defence company Rolls-Royce to develop an indigenous combat engine for India’s Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) programme.
The proposed partnership will cover the design, development, manufacturing and delivery of the engine, Reliance Industries said in a stock exchange filing on Friday.
The companies also intend to explore setting up a dedicated aerospace gas turbine complex in India that would serve as a centre of excellence for power and propulsion technologies, the company said.
“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,” Reliance Executive Director Anant Ambani said in a statement.
The proposed complex is expected to create an end-to-end domestic capability spanning engine design and development to manufacturing, testing, production and through-life support, Reliance said.
The initiative comes as India seeks to strengthen domestic defence manufacturing and reduce dependence on imported military hardware and propulsion systems.
Rolls-Royce Chief Executive Tufan Erginbilgic said the partnership would combine the company’s engineering and engine expertise with Reliance’s position in India’s industrial 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,” Erginbilgic said.
Reliance said the proposed aerospace gas turbine complex could also support collaborations beyond the AMCA programme, including in defence, civil aerospace and next-generation power and propulsion systems.
The AMCA is India’s planned fifth-generation fighter aircraft programme, with the indigenous development of its propulsion system seen as a key element in building domestic capability in advanced military aviation.
The proposed Reliance-Rolls-Royce collaboration is subject to the necessary approvals and further discussions between the companies, the filing said.