LOOKING TO EXPAND OUR TIES IN INDIA
KISHORE JAYARAMAN SAYS AERO INDIA 2021 ASSUMES STRATEGIC IMPORTANCE FOR THE COUNTRY AND FOR BUSINESSES, POST-PANDEMIC
What is Rolls-royce showcasing as part of its defence capabilities at Aero India 2021? As the world witnesses a changing global and regional geopolitical environment, all eyes are on India as it focuses on the modernization of its defence technologies and development of indigenous defence manufacturing capabilities with a strong role for both private and public sector. Against this backdrop and given the long period of reduced interface with customers due to the pandemic, Aero India 2021 assumes strategic importance for the country and for businesses. The event should serve as the perfect platform for active deliberations among global and Indian customers, suppliers and ambitious MSMES for exploring partnership opportunities.
At Rolls-royce, we are excited to explore opportunities to expand our partnerships in India, as well as to pursue opportunities for co-development programmes, that can leverage the strengths of our technological capabilities as well as our longstanding partnerships for local sourcing/ supply chain and manufacturing.
We will also be familiarising customers with our naval propulsion capabilities with a focus on the MT30 gas turbine that gives navies more power in less machinery space than alternative engine types and offers ship designers much more options and flexibility in designing future-ready naval vessels.
Derived from the Aero Trent engine family, the Rolls-royce MT30 is the world’s most power dense in-service gas turbine. The MT30 offers excellent reliability that allows the ship to operate anywhere in the world without loss of performance or power, with reduced through-life maintenance. One of the key strengths of MT30 is that it has the power for today and also tomorrow, so it effectively helps to futureproof a platform against the future demands for increased electrical power from system upgrades such as weapons and sensors.
The MT30 also supports the ‘lean manning’ concept by virtue of its ultra-low on-board maintenance requirement. Developed as futuristic technology and to meet the growing demand for electrical power, MT30 is operating or has been selected in all conceivable propulsion arrangements across seven ship types – mechanical, hybrid and integrated full electric, with power delivered to waterjets, controllable and fixed-pitch propellers, depending on application.
Chosen to power the US Navy’s Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) USS Freedom more than twelve years ago, MT30 has become the gas turbine of choice for many advanced programmes for navies worldwide including the U.S. Navy, Republic of Korea Navy, the Royal Navy, the Royal Australian Navy, the Royal Canadian Navy, the Italian Navy and the Japanese Maritime Self Defence Force. We look forward to expanding our relationship with the Indian armed forces through our advanced technology platforms as well as customized power solutions.
Typically rated between 36MW to 40MW at 100 degrees Fahrenheit (depending on application), and with 100% power-retention through-life, the MT30 is powering some of the world’s most capable and advanced naval ships. There is much potential for this product to power the vessels of the Indian Navy and we are committed to serve them You have a strong legacy of partnership in India. What is the longterm goal for collaboration as far as India’s defence sector is concerned?
Rolls-royce shares a rich heritage of partnership with the Indian defence forces, dating back over eight decades when it powered the country’s first air force and navy carriers. Today, over 750 Rolls-royce engines across 10 engine types power Indian Military aircraft.
Collaboration has been at the heart of this partnership, demonstrated by successfully transferring whole-engine capability, knowledge and expertise in multi-national combat engine programmes. Over the past 60 years, Rolls-royce engines have been made in India, under license by Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL), the largest defence manufacturing company in India and a public sector company. Rolls-royce has also built successful partnerships with leading private sector players like Bharat Forge, Godrej & Boyce, Force Motors and the Tata group and MSMES and start-ups.
The vision for the future will be not just technology transfers and manufacturing but creating a broader ecosystem that includes co-design, co-development, co-manufacturing, supply chain and support. This entails capability creation and skilling, and at Rolls-royce we consider this one of our core strengths. In India, we are already nurturing skills, developing local supplier base and building capabilities to match global standards of quality and deliver
With a growing engineering footprint in India, we seek to establish a robust ecosystem to enable co-creation across the entire value-chain – from research, design and development to manufacturing, integration, maintenance and repair.
Going forward, we seek to embrace opportunities to co-develop and comanufacture for the growing aerospace and defence sector with the right Indian strategic partners. This way we not only create value and contribute to local economies but also create an ecosystem that enables the sustainable growth of the sector.
How has the Rolls-royce partnership with HAL evolved over the years?
Rolls-royce’s manufacturing partnership with HAL started in 1956 when the Orpheus engines were first manufactured in India. This partnership was extended to one of our biggest initiatives in the country, by the setting up of a joint venture with HAL called International Aerospace Manufacturing Pvt. Ltd. (IAMPL) to manufacture aero-engine components for the technologically advanced Trent family of civil aero engines.
Today, IAMPL is a fully accredited benchmark manufacturing facility within the Rolls-royce supply chain, operating the latest technologies to the highest levels of aerospace compliance. The JV manufactures more than 160 different aero-engine components used across the Trent family of products, and also supports our defence manufacturing supply chain.
We continue to explore opportunities to expand this partnership, as well as to further strengthen the aerospace and defence manufacturing ecosystem in the country.
Is Rolls-royce looking to partner the Indian AMCA programme?
Rolls-india’s defence requirements are evolving, making indigenous development of modern defence hardware and technology a top priority for the government. Rolls-royce is pursuing many opportunities in India which continue to bolster our current presence and supply chain initiatives. We also remain keen to partner the co-development programme for the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA).
We are working closely with the Ministry of Defence, DRDO, HAL and others to explore opportunities to cocreate products and solutions for the Indian defence sector. We believe that joint programmes between countries will lead the way in the future. We remain committed and keen to participate in co-development of technology solutions with India to support indigenization, in line with the country’s selfreliance vision.
Today, we are already nurturing high capability engineering skills, developing local supplier base and building capabilities, and we seek to embrace opportunities to co-develop and co-manufacture for the growing aerospace and defence sector with the right Indian strategic partners. This way we not only create value and contribute to local economies but also create an ecosystem that enables the sustainable growth of the sector. We have been manufacturing in India with Indian partners for over 60 years, and believe we are well positioned to support India’s future needs.