GRSE to assemble Rolls-Royce engines in India

Rolls-Royce and India’s Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE) have signed an agreement that will enable GRSE to assemble MTU Series 4000 engines in India.

According to Rolls-Royce, the 12V and 16V 4000 M90 type engines will be assembled in GRSE’s diesel engine plant in Ranchi.

An option for the local production of parts in the future was also agreed.

The engines will be installed in various naval vessels built by GRSE and the agreement includes the transfer of MTU technology related to assembly, testing and painting.

Rear Admiral (ret.) V K Saxena, chairman and managing director at GRSE, said: “This agreement strengthens our long-standing and successful partnership with MTU. It is an important contribution to our indigenization programme in line with the government’s Make in India strategy. We plan to take forward the partnership between GRSE and MTU partnership and to achieve 40 percent indigenous content progressively for MTU 4000 series engines.”

Praveen Mohan, CEO of MTU India, said: “We are delighted to continue and deepen our co-operation with GRSE. India is one of the most important growth markets for MTU. MTU has demonstrated its commitment to India as a location for business and investment for many years through the Engineering & Research Center and Global Purchasing Office based in Pune as well as earlier licence agreements with GRSE. We look forward to making further engines in India.”

Since 2004, GRSE assembles Series 4000 engines in India from components and parts sourced from MTU. The now agreed assembly is significantly more complex than the work done previously. GRSE’s DEP has already assembled more than 100 MTU engines.