Rolls-Royce Reaffirms It Is "Very Much in the Game" for India's AMCA Engine Deal Amidst Reports Favoring France’s Safran

British engineering major Rolls-Royce has publicly reasserted its strong interest in partnering with India to develop a new engine for the nation's future stealth fighter jet, the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA).

The statement comes amid industry reports suggesting that French competitor Safran is the current favourite to win the contract.

With a final decision from the Indian government anticipated by the end of 2025, the competition highlights a crucial moment for India's strategic goal of achieving self-reliance in aerospace and defence technology.

The Strategic Importance of the AMCA Program​

The AMCA is India's flagship fifth-generation aircraft program, managed by the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) under the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). The project aims to deliver a domestically produced stealth fighter to the Indian Air Force by approximately 2035.

The AMCA development is planned in two versions. The initial version, AMCA Mk-1, will be powered by the American-made General Electric F414 engine, which produces 98 kilonewtons (kN) of thrust.

However, the more advanced Mk-2 variant will require a significantly more powerful engine in the 110–130 kN thrust class.

This new power plant is considered essential not only for the AMCA but also as a foundational technology for India's future combat aircraft, including potential sixth-generation fighters and the Twin Engine Deck-Based Fighter (TEDBF) for the Indian Navy.

Competing Offers from European Giants​

The contest to co-develop this critical engine involves two of the world's leading aerospace manufacturers.

France's Safran has emerged as a strong contender, partly due to its existing collaboration with the DRDO on reviving the indigenous Kaveri jet engine.

Safran's proposal is reportedly very attractive to New Delhi because it includes a full transfer of technology for the engine's "hot section." This core component is technologically the most complex and sensitive part of a jet engine, and no nation has ever offered such advanced technology to India before.

Safran has also pledged to establish a complete design, development, and manufacturing ecosystem in India, fully supporting the government's 'Make in India' initiative.

The United Kingdom's Rolls-Royce has countered with a proposal for a comprehensive partnership. Alex Zino, a senior executive at Rolls-Royce, confirmed that the company is actively negotiating and presenting its offer through the UK government.

The British proposal is built on developing an entirely new engine tailored for the AMCA in collaboration with India's Gas Turbine Research Establishment (GTRE).

Key elements of their offer include:

• Complete Transfer of Technology (ToT): To empower India to build, maintain, and upgrade the engine independently.
• Indian Intellectual Property (IP) Ownership: A crucial clause ensuring that India would own the rights to the engine's design and technology.
• Scalable Engine Design: The proposed engine could be adapted for greater power needs in the future, potentially up to 200 kN of thrust.

Rolls-Royce brings extensive experience from its EJ200 engine, which powers the Eurofighter Typhoon, and its current work on propulsion systems for the UK's next-generation "Tempest" fighter program.

The choice before India is therefore not just about selecting an engine, but about choosing a long-term strategic partner to shape the future of its aerospace defence capabilities.

 

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[Hawkeye]

Four engine options are currently available from four OEMs, which is really good. It seems SAFRAN is not a done deal.

 

[sanket]

Good, that's what I say, RR's offer is better than Safran's. Under the 36 Rafale purchase deal, it talked big and then demanded extra investment and royalty on the Kaveri Engine. Safran, just for winning, promised big and after winning the deals, did dilly dally. Now it is said just for timing, Safran has been preferred. But if they fail to develop within the time frame................??

While the RR offer is anytime better, with a potential of 200 kN, that's what's needed. Plus, co-designing and co-developing in Bharat with 100% components to be manufactured in Bharat. Safran may either supply from France or manufacture this hot core, critical component from its Hyderabad plant, retaining the control.

RR also offers know-how and know-why. RR can also assist in marine engine development. The Safran offer is based on a 4th Gen Engine while the RR offer is a clean-slate design. Safran hasn't mentioned Variable Cycle Engine Tech, which is a hallmark of a 6th Gen Engine.

Just promising a shorter development timeline before winning the deal is not the criteria for awarding the partnership.

 

[abhinav srivastava]

With the current geopolitical scenario, don't count GE engines.

 

[Deepak Hegde]

India should go ahead with the Rolls Royce collaboration as well. If Safran is unable to develop, we are back to square one. For risk management, sake, develop both programs in parallel.

 

[Rinku Pandey]

I hope Indian Govt takes decision by end 2025 as it will take atleast 10 years from signing the agreement for production ready engine.

 

[Somnath Sinhababu]

After observing what is happening with the US, I don't think India will choose RR over Safran. France is a comparatively more reliable partner than the US or UK, at least. I will put my bet on Safran any day. RR has the latest technology, no doubt, but reliability and trust are more important. India is going to place more orders of Rafael, so going with Safran also makes sense.

 

[Sundara Bhaskaran]

We have to go for better options, not ignoring both the contenders. RR seems to be a better option as of now. They seem to be into gas turbines for the ships, too.

 

[Enforcer]

Neither of them are going to provide any meaningful TOT. They don't want competition in their already successful business ventures.

Only a fool would provide TOT and ruin their future with additional competition. France was already complaining to Germany that they gave too much TOT to Turkey and now Turkey is building their own submarines.

 

[pgahlot]

Collaboration with RR would be better than Safran for sure.

 

[Akilan]

From a layman's point of view, Rolls-Royce is a better option if both RR and the UK government agree on clauses to uphold the agreement even under sanctions/US pressure. Safran doesn't have any engine other than the M88, which only produces 84kn. Their expertise in aero-engines is thus inferior to RR.

 

[MANOJ KUMAR Jha]

The UK is a vassal state of the USA, hence any difference on any issue with the US will adversely impact the development of the Rolls-Royce engine.

We have seen it umpteen times how the US may stop or force others to stop all kinds of cooperation in a fit of anger. Uranium supply for the Tarapur nuclear plant, Russian supply of cryogenic engines, and the supply of supercomputers are examples of US whims and fancies.Hence, it is better to have a deal with France which follows an independent foreign policy.

 

[Raja Raja Cholan]

I hope HAL and GTRE will not take this evaluation far too long and, eventually, end up in another blunder. As a key contender, it looks like Safran is using this great opportunity, taking advantage of India's dependence on Safran to produce an engine which will serve as a basis for a new French fighter engine. In other words, India is sponsoring Safran to produce an advanced technology fighter engine.

 

[Sambit Ranjan]

At least RR has the capability and experience of making 150+kN turbofan engines and has started working on next-generation adaptive cycle engines, unlike France/Safran, which failed to increase the thrust of its M88 engines beyond 85kN even after working for 20 years. It will be like France using Indian money for its experiments.