New Delhi. British aero-engine maker Rolls-Royce on Sunday said it is considering making India its third “home market” outside the UK. The scheme is designed to take advantage of opportunities in a number of areas including jet engines, naval propulsion, land systems and advanced engineering. Rolls-Royce India Executive Vice President Sashi Mukundan said in an interview to PTI that the company is planning big investments in India.
He said that it is a priority to develop new generation aero engines in India, so that they can power the fighter aircraft being built in India under the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft Programme. In addition to the UK, Rolls-Royce also considers the US and Germany as its “home markets”, as the company has a strong presence in both countries, including manufacturing facilities. Mukundan also said that Rolls-Royce can play an important role in meeting the needs of electric propulsion to enhance the combat capability of the Indian Navy.
He said Rolls-Royce’s participation in the development of jet engines for AMCA could help India produce engines for naval propulsion as well. Without sharing specific details, he said Rolls-Royce is eyeing a significant investment to expand its presence in India. He said India has the scale, policy clarity and clear direction to strengthen the defense and industrial ecosystem.
Mukundan said that if all goes well, it will be a big investment, so big that people will notice it, but he declined to disclose the amount. According to him, the real significance of this investment lies in the impact it will have on the development of the entire value chain and ecosystem in the regions where the company operates. A senior Rolls-Royce official said that the company is going to finalize two MoUs with two defense PSUs of India. One agreement will relate to manufacturing engines for the Arjun tank, while the other will relate to engines for future-ready combat vehicles.
Mukundan said that outside the UK, the company has developed the US and Germany as home markets and now wants to make India the next home market. This means that the company wants to work in all sectors and not limited to defence. He said this ambition spans defence, naval propulsion, land systems, manufacturing, advanced engineering skills and technology development and is in line with India’s priorities.
Comments are closed.