Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s forthcoming visit to the United Kingdom is poised to be a pivotal moment for India’s defence and aerospace ambitions, with jet engine co-development for next-generation fighter aircraft topping the agenda.

The visit is expected to accelerate a strategic partnership aimed at powering the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA), India’s most advanced stealth fighter project.

At the heart of the negotiations are Rolls-Royce (UK) and Safran (France), both leading contenders for a joint venture with India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) to develop a 110–130 kilonewton (kN) thrust-class engine for the AMCA.

Both companies have offered India full transfer of technology (ToT), joint intellectual property rights, and co-production within India—a significant departure from previous arrangements that left India dependent on foreign propulsion systems. The Cabinet Secretariat is currently reviewing a DRDO-prepared note, and a high-level decision is anticipated soon, possibly coinciding with Modi’s UK visit.

Strategic urgency underpins these talks. India’s reliance on imported engines has been exposed by recent delays in deliveries from GE Aerospace for the Tejas Mk-1A fighter jets, which have disrupted production timelines and impacted Indian Air Force acquisition plans. These supply chain disruptions, exacerbated by post-pandemic bottlenecks, have catalysed India’s push for self-reliance in critical defence technologies, especially jet engines—a domain where the country has historically lacked indigenous capability.

For the AMCA, initial prototypes and the Mk1 production batch will use imported GE F414 engines, but India’s clear objective is to transition to a domestically developed engine for the Mk2 variant. Rolls-Royce’s proposal includes the co-development of a bespoke engine with 100% IPR for India, advanced variable cycle technology, and support for local manufacturing. Safran, leveraging its experience with the Rafale’s M88 engine, has similarly offered a clean-sheet 110–130 kN engine with full ToT and IPR, and has committed to establishing maintenance and R&D facilities in India.

The geostrategic rationale for diversifying engine partnerships is rooted in India’s desire for strategic redundancy and resilience. While not a diplomatic pivot away from the US, the move reflects lessons from recent global conflicts and supply chain vulnerabilities, underscoring the need for localized defence manufacturing. The partnership decision will also factor in broader industrial participation, with discussions underway to include a major Indian private sector player alongside HAL to build long-term capability and ecosystem depth.

Beyond fighter jets, India’s self-reliance drive extends to naval propulsion, as seen in the Navy’s recent sanctioning of a major indigenous marine engine project. This holistic approach aims to eliminate foreign dependency across all critical propulsion domains.

The timeline for the AMCA engine partnership is ambitious: a final decision is expected by the end of 2025, with detailed negotiations on technical specifications and workshare to follow in 2026, engine core completion by 2030, and full engine development by 2034. Limited series production for the AMCA MK-2 is targeted for 2035.

Modi’s UK visit is widely expected to yield a major announcement or at least a high-level commitment on combat engine cooperation. The outcome will shape India’s aerospace and defence landscape for decades, potentially establishing the country as one of the few globally capable of independently developing and producing fifth-generation fighter engines.

Based On Bharat Shakti Report