ROLLS-ROYCE Roaring Through the Indian Sky With Bigger Bets

India holds great promise and potential to be a key growth driver for Rolls-Royce as the company leverages the country's civil aerospace and emerging defence opportunities

- SHRABONA GHOSH

In 1933, the contrail which enveloped the cruising altitude of the first flight of the Indian Air Force Number One Squadron, bespoke the growing solidarity between Rolls-Royce and India. The legacy commenced in 1932 when Rolls-Royce engines powered the first commercial aircraft of Tata Aviation. Fast Forward to 2024, India is one of the fastest-growing large economies in the world with a target of becoming a $5 trillion economy in the next five years and the partnership continues strong.

In 2012, when Kishore Jayaraman joined Rolls-Royce as India president, the engine-maker was transitioning from licensed production to engineering services and component manufacturing; his vision was to build capabilities through empowered teams thereby enabling sustainable growth. Over time, bold decisions and with his skill to gauge future opportunities, the company expanded its engineering, digital, supply chain and manufacturing footprint in India and is better positioned to capture emerging opportunities.