Mukesh Ambani, chairman of Reliance Industries, at the AI Impact Summit in New Delhi, India, on Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026.
© 2026 Bloomberg Finance LPReliance Industries —controlled by Indian billionaire Mukesh Ambani —will partner with UK-based Rolls-Royce Holdings to develop fighter jet engines in India as the country’s largest conglomerate expands into military aviation.
"India’s strategic autonomy requires sovereign capability in critical technologies,” Anant Ambani, executive director of Reliance Industries said in a statement.
With an estimated real-time net worth of $89.9 billion, Mukesh Ambani is the wealthiest tycoon in the Asia-Pacific.
He leads Reliance Industries, which has interests in energy, petrochemicals, telecommunications, retail, media and financial services.
Mukesh Ambani, chairman of Reliance Industries, at the AI Impact Summit in New Delhi, India, on Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026. © 2026 Bloomberg Finance LP
Reliance Industries —controlled by Indian billionaire Mukesh Ambani —will partner with UK-based Rolls-Royce Holdings to develop fighter jet engines in India as the country’s largest conglomerate expands into military aviation.
The duo said Friday that they will jointly design, develop and manufacture an indigenous combat engine for India’s Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) programme, which aims to develop country’s homegrown fifth-generation fighter jets. The two companies didn’t disclose financial details for the project.
"India’s strategic autonomy requires sovereign capability in critical technologies,” Anant Ambani, executive director of Reliance Industries said in a statement. “Our intent with Rolls-Royce is to combine their world-leading expertise in advanced propulsion with Reliance’s technology, manufacturing, scale and execution capabilities to build an indigenous aero-engine ecosystem in India.”
To support the project, the partners will build a dedicated aerospace gas turbine complex focused on developing advanced power and propulsion technologies. The upcoming facility will also enable the partners to explore wider collaborations across defence, civil aerospace, and new power and propulsion systems.
“Together, with our existing partnerships and capabilities in India, this marks a major milestone towards building a robust, self-reliant aerospace ecosystem in the country," Tufan Erginbilgiç CEO of Rolls-Royce said.
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In May, the Indian government earmarked 15 billion rupees ($157 million) to bankroll the AMCA programme in an effort to fast track the development of the next generation fighter jets for the Indian airforce.
With an estimated real-time net worth of $89.9 billion, Mukesh Ambani is the wealthiest tycoon in the Asia-Pacific. He leads Reliance Industries, which has interests in energy, petrochemicals, telecommunications, retail, media and financial services.
