Rolls-Royce Eyes India Engine MRO Facility, Aero Gas Turbine Complex and SMR Opportunities
Rolls-Royce is preparing a multi-sector expansion in India, with plans spanning a civil aviation engine maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facility, an aero gas turbine complex for military jet engines, and exploration of small modular reactors (SMRs) in the nuclear energy sector. Rolls-Royce Executive Vice President (Transformation India) Sashi Mukundan said establishment of the engine MRO facility in India is now a matter of timing rather than possibility.
The company currently has around 100 civil aviation engines operating in India across business jets and commercial aircraft, with these engines presently serviced at Rolls-Royce facilities in Singapore and Hong Kong. Demand for local engine support is expected to rise with Air India and IndiGo's firm orders for more than 100 Airbus A350 aircraft powered exclusively by Rolls-Royce engines.
On the defence side, Rolls-Royce has proposed building an aero gas turbine complex in India, backed by the UK government, with full technology transfer to support development of indigenous jet engines for India's Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) fifth-generation fighter programme. The proposed engine could see ground trials by 2032 and a first flight by 2034.
The company is also "seriously exploring" opportunities to deploy small modular reactors in India following the enactment of the Shanti (Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India) Act, 2025, which has opened India's civil nuclear sector to private participation.
If these initiatives materialise, Rolls-Royce expects to invest billions of dollars and create more than 10,000 jobs in India, where it currently has around 4,300 engines operating across its various business segments.