Reliance Industries has partnered with Rolls-Royce to build India’s indigenous combat engine for the AMCA fighter jet programme.

Under the arrangement, the two firms plan to cover the full journey of building a fighter jet engine. That includes design, development, manufacturing, testing, production and long-term support once the engine is in use.

Together, they will also look at setting up a dedicated Aerospace Gas Turbine Complex, meant to serve as a hub for power and propulsion technology work in India.

Anant Ambani, executive director at Reliance Industries, said the goal is to combine Rolls-Royce’s advanced propulsion expertise with Reliance’s manufacturing and execution capabilities to build an aero-engine ecosystem within the country.

Rolls-Royce chief executive Tufan Erginbilgiç described the deal as a step toward a more self-reliant aerospace industry in India, building on the company’s existing work in the country.

For context, India currently designs and assembles fighter jets domestically but still depends on foreign suppliers for the engines that power them.

Engine technology is widely seen as one of the harder gaps to close in defence manufacturing, since it demands years of specialised research and precision engineering. A domestic engine programme, if it moves forward, would mark a shift in that capability.

Beyond the AMCA programme itself, Reliance said the planned turbine complex could open doors to further collaboration across defence, civil aviation, and other power and propulsion projects down the line.

The announcement adds to a string of manufacturing-focused moves from Reliance in recent months, as the group continues building out its industrial and technology businesses alongside its existing energy, retail and telecom operations.

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