Customer Manager

Reliance, Rolls-Royce to develop indigenous combat engine for AMCA together. The proposed partnership would combine Britain's storied aero-engine maker's technology and expertise with Reliance's technology, manufacturing and execution capabilities to develop AMCA engine. Reliance Industries and Rolls-Royce on Friday said they intend to jointly develop a sovereign combat engine for the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) programme, marking a bid by India's largest private-sector company and Britain's storied aero-engine maker to build indigenous fighter-jet propulsion capability in the country. The two companies, in a joint statement, said they would explore forming a dedicated Aerospace Gas Turbine Complex in India, envisioned as a centre of excellence for power and propulsion technology, covering design, development, manufacturing, testing, production and through-life support of combat engines. The proposed partnership would combine Britain's storied aero-engine maker's technology and expertise with Reliance's technology, manufacturing and execution capabilities to develop the AMCA engine in India. The announcement frames the tie-up as advancing Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's push for the country's defence sector to produce an indigenous engine to power its fighter jet programme, part of the broader "Atmanirbhar Bharat", or self-reliant India, initiative. "India's strategic autonomy requires sovereign capability in critical technologies," Anant Ambani, executive director of Reliance Industries, said in the statement. He said the partnership would combine Rolls-Royce's propulsion expertise with Reliance's "technology, manufacturing, scale and execution capabilities" to build an aero-engine ecosystem in India that could become "self-reliant and, over time, globally competitive". 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 companies said the venture could also open the door to broader collaboration in defence, civil aerospace and new power and propulsion systems, beyond the AMCA engine itself. 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 strategic intent announcement does not itself constitute a signed joint venture or contract; the companies described it as a step toward exploring the formation of the proposed gas turbine complex. Reliance, led by chairman Mukesh Ambani, is India's largest private-sector company by revenue, with businesses spanning oil-to-chemicals, retail, digital services and media. Rolls-Royce, listed in London, has operations in 47 countries and serves customers, including airlines, aircraft lessors, armed forces, navies, and marine and industrial clients. Neither company disclosed financial terms, a timeline, or details of ownership structure for the proposed gas turbine complex. 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. The partnership could also open opportunities for wider collaboration across defence, civil aerospace and new power and propulsion systems, they said. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

Will India finally get its own fighter jet engine? Reliance, Rolls-Royce make big AMCA move. In a significant move towards defence self-reliance, Reliance Industries Limited and Rolls-Royce have announced their intent to jointly develop and manufacture a sovereign indigenous combat engine for India's fifth-generation AMCA Published: August 14, 2026 07:53 PM IST Highlights. * Reliance Industries and global aerospace leader Rolls-Royce have announced a landmark partnership to develop and build a state-of-the-art fighter jet engine right here in India * This historic collaboration aims to power the nation's futuristic fifth-generation stealth fighter, the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft * This move directly addresses one of India's most critical strategic challenges: its long-standing dependence on foreign suppliers like General Electric for jet engines India's longstanding ambition to develop and manufacture its own fighter jet engine is taking a more definite shape, as Reliance Industries Limited and Rolls-Royce announced their strategic intent to jointly offer capabilities for an indigenous combat engine for the country's fifth-generation Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) programme. Developing a domestically produced engine for Indian-made fighter aircraft has long been a major goal of the country's defence establishment. India currently remains dependent on foreign suppliers like General Electric for fighter jet engines, even as indigenous propulsion capability is a crucial element of the push for greater self-reliance. The proposed partnership between Reliance and Rolls-Royce will cover the design, development, manufacturing and delivery of a "sovereign indigenous combat engine" for the AMCA programme. As part of the initiative, the two companies will also explore establishing a dedicated Aerospace Gas Turbine Complex in India, planned as a centre of excellence for power and propulsion technologies. The proposed complex is expected to create end-to-end capabilities in India spanning engine design, development, manufacturing, testing, production and through-life support. The partnership brings together Rolls-Royce's expertise in advanced engines and Reliance's industrial and manufacturing capabilities, with the companies proposing joint development of the AMCA engine in India. Anant Ambani, executive director of Reliance Industries Limited, said developing sovereign capabilities in critical technologies was essential for India's strategic autonomy. "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. "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 added. Rolls-Royce CEO Tufan Erginbilgiç described the proposed partnership as a major step towards creating a self-reliant aerospace ecosystem in India. "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. The collaboration could also open the door to wider cooperation in defence, civil aerospace and new power and propulsion systems. The initiative is aimed at supporting India's Atmanirbhar Bharat push for technology indigenisation while building domestic capabilities in one of the most critical areas of fighter aircraft development. Disclaimer: Comments posted here are the sole responsibility of the user and do not reflect the views of THE WEEK. Obscene or offensive remarks against any person, religion, community or nation are punishable under IT rules and may invite legal action.

The largest battery-electric plane ever made has flown for the first time. Heart Aerospace's X1 demonstrator flew for 27 minutes on $5 of electricity Heart Aerospace has announced the successful first flight of its prototype all-electric aircraft, the X1 demonstrator. X1 took off from Plattsburgh International Airport in Upstate New York and flew for 27 minutes, reaching an altitude of 1,100 feet, running entirely on its batteries. Heart added the flight, including takeoff and landing, consumed less than $5 worth of electricity, a useful selling point given the price of fuel. It has already earned praise from executives at United Airlines and Air Canada, who are interested in adding electric planes to its fleets. If Heart is successful, the X1 will be followed by the ES-30, a fixed-wing 30-seat hybrid model designed to service regional airports. The company's hope is that its planes can offer a far cheaper service for hopper flights currently operated by turboprop planes like the Embraer ERJ. It is aiming for an all-electric range of 125 miles, with that figure climbing to 500 miles with the hybrid engine. Heart's broader pitch is that it won't just be in the cheaper cost of electricity versus jet fuel that will make its plane affordable. Naturally, the cheaper maintenance and operation cost of electric motors, their better reliability will add to the balance sheet. Of more concern, perhaps, is Heart's belief that the ES-30, while operated by a single pilot initially, will enable autonomous service in the future. Right now, the company is aiming for the ES-30 to enter service by 2031, a date Engadget, Inc.'ll only say is "ambitious" by most plane development standards. The next decade does appear to be one in which a number of aviation startups are looking to offer their vision for the future of flight. Heart will be jostling for space alongside Boom Supersonic, Harbour Air, ZeroAvia, and Rolls-Royce. But, as Engadget, Inc. opined back in 2021, the future of electric flight is entirely dependent on batteries getting a lot denser and lighter compared to their current-day equivalents.