In a significant deepening of Indo-British industrial ties, the Chief Executive of Rolls-Royce, Tufan Erginbilgic, has unveiled an expansive strategic blueprint to transform the company’s footprint in India across defence, energy and civil aviation.
The announcement follows high-level discussions in New Delhi with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, alongside separate engagements with National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal.
At the heart of the plan lies an ambitious proposal to co-develop an advanced aero-engine for India’s next-generation combat aircraft, with full transfer of intellectual property. The engine is intended to power jets under the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft programme (AMCA), a flagship initiative designed to strengthen India’s indigenous defence capabilities.
Rolls-Royce, in collaboration with the UK Government, has offered to co-develop a 120 kN class combat jet engine core — a move the company believes could provide India with its most accelerated pathway to a home-grown next-generation powerplant. The proposal includes comprehensive technology transfer, IP ownership for India, and the establishment of a dedicated design and manufacturing complex expected to generate substantial employment.
“As we grow our participation in programmes across India's defence, aviation and energy sectors, we will expand our ecosystem in India, as we have done successfully in other countries,” Erginbilgic said.
The British engineering major is positioning India as its third “home market” outside the United Kingdom, reflecting a long-term commitment to the country’s expanding aerospace, naval propulsion, land systems and advanced engineering sectors.
“Our ambitions for India are built on the strong foundations of our decades-long presence in the country, our growing footprint, our deep industry partnerships, and our competitively advantaged technologies,” the Rolls-Royce CEO said.
“We are determined to partner India on its Atmanirbhar journey, by developing indigenous propulsion capabilities, providing sustained power to critical infrastructure and industry, and expanding local manufacturing for global supply chains.”
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Workforce and Supply Chain Surge
Central to the roadmap is a dramatic scale-up of local operations. Rolls-Royce aims to more than double the size of its India-based workforce to approximately 10,000 employees. Simultaneously, it anticipates a tenfold increase in supply chain sourcing from Indian partners — a shift designed to cultivate small and medium-sized enterprises while reinforcing India’s role as a global high-technology manufacturing hub.
Currently, over 4,000 personnel form part of the Rolls-Royce ecosystem in India, including 2,800 engineers contributing to global programmes. The company maintains long-standing industrial partnerships, including joint ventures with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited and Force Motors, alongside sourcing arrangements with more than 100 suppliers.
In a message posted on social media, Prime Minister Modi said: “We welcome Rolls-Royce's enthusiasm towards scaling up its activities in India and partnering with our innovative and dynamic youth.”
The expansion has also drawn support from Lindy Cameron, the British High Commissioner to India.
“Rolls-Royce has so much to offer India. And India has so much to offer Rolls-Royce! Their announcement is set to soar investment and jobs in India and will further their impressive contribution to India's growth story,” she said.
“From powering India's civil and defence aerospace to advancing digital and engineering capabilities -- this is exactly what our shared UK-India Vision 2035 envisaged,” Cameron said on 'X'.
Strategic Vision 2035
The announcement reinforces the broader India–UK strategic partnership under the Vision 2035 roadmap, aimed at deepening bilateral cooperation in defence, advanced manufacturing and industrial innovation.
Rolls-Royce engines already power more than 1,400 Indian defence platforms, including Jaguar combat aircraft, Hawk trainers, Arjun Main Battle Tanks, and multiple naval vessels and submarines, including anti-submarine warfare shallow water crafts and P17 Alpha frigates.
Looking ahead, the company is exploring further opportunities to localise and manufacture propulsion systems for the Indian Army, Navy and Coast Guard, alongside potential energy solutions for critical infrastructure.
Erginbilgic’s meeting with the Prime Minister also centred on how Rolls-Royce’s advanced technologies could support India’s ‘Viksit Bharat’ — or developed India — vision, strengthening national security, energy resilience, infrastructure development and air connectivity.
With its newly expanded Global Capability and Innovation Centre in Bengaluru serving as a digital and engineering nucleus for its civil aerospace and defence divisions, Rolls-Royce appears poised to embed itself more deeply in India’s industrial ascent — a partnership that may redefine the contours of high-technology collaboration between London and New Delhi for decades to come.
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