Even as engine delivery delays for the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas programme have led to Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) missing the delivery schedule deadline for the LCA Mk-1A variant of the jet to the Indian Air Force (IAF), which is struggling with a squadron shortage, and as India is looking at a home-grown engine for its ambitious fifth-generation Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA), British aero-engine maker Rolls-Royce made an interesting pitch.
The company, which is looking at making India its third "home market" outside of the UK, is planning a "big investment" in the country and has listed developing a next-generation aero engine in the country as a priority to power the combat jets that will be made under the AMCA programme.
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Sashi Mukundan, the executive vice president of Rolls-Royce India, said extensive discussions and background work are underway on how to move forward with regard to AMCA engines, news agency PTI reported.
"If India is thinking about next-generation engines, Rolls-Royce is probably the best partner. We have the capability, we have the experience both in India and globally, and we have repeatedly demonstrated that we can do it," he was quoted as saying.
He said all of the engine design work can be done in India. He also pitched the relevant technology transfer and the possibility of India jointly owning all new intellectual property (IP) rights.
"Once you own design IP, you have strategic control. Manufacturing then becomes the next stage, and that is always more complex. It's about ensuring that capability is built systematically and safely," he said.
According to him, Rolls-Royce engines for AMCA could be helpful for India in developing electric propulsion for naval engines.
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He explained that electric and hybrid naval propulsion systems are essentially marine gas turbines derived from an aero-engine core.
He added that Rolls-Royce is among the few manufacturers with the capability to marinize aero engines at scale. This is significant, he said, because building a dedicated marine propulsion supply chain domestically is not viable given the Navy’s limited volumes. "But if the aero-core derivative is built and co-designed in India, the overlapping supply chain becomes justifiable and can support both the aero and naval sectors," he added.
The proposal comes even as India has struggled with engine delivery from GE for LCA Tejas. The delay was initially due to production timelines falling behind during the pandemic. Besides, the departure of many senior engineers from the company caused cascading supply chain bottlenecks.
A few months ago, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had announced that the country may start making engines for the fifth-generation fighter in collaboration with the French aerospace company Safran. He had reportedly said that important steps have already been taken in this regard.
“Today, we have also taken steps forward in the direction of building fifth-generation fighter aircraft. We have also moved towards manufacturing the aircraft’s engine in India itself," he was quoted as saying, adding, "We are about to start engine manufacturing work in India with the French company Safran."
Dependence on foreign suppliers for the single-most critical component of the fighter jet does present a challenge to India's push for self-reliance in defence. While partnership with seasoned players such as Rolls-Royce or Safran may be unavoidable given the complexity of the fighter jet engines, the real test will be in the depth of technology transfer, co-ownership and IP rights and setting up of a sustained domestic ecosystem that can support future upgrades and derivatives.