Rolls-Royce has marked a major milestone in its Indian journey by inaugurating its largest Global Capability and Innovation Centre (GCC) in Bengaluru this September. This strategic move not only reaffirms the company’s deep India roots but also advances Karnataka's status as one of the world’s foremost aerospace hubs.
Rolls-Royce’s Global Capability Centre: A New Benchmark
The newly inaugurated 700-seat GCC at Manyata Embassy Business Park stands as Rolls-Royce’s most advanced facility globally. This centre will host teams powering the global digital, engineering, and enterprise services of Rolls-Royce across its civil aerospace and defence divisions, integrating highly skilled Indian talent into its worldwide operations.
Strategic Expansion and Investment Commitment
Rolls-Royce has committed to doubling its sourcing from India within the next five years, accelerating the integration of Indian suppliers into its global supply chain. This expansion is part of a broader multi-year transformation within the company—strengthening local capabilities, nurturing top-tier engineering talent, and positioning the Bengaluru GCC as its largest capability hub for supporting corporate functions and innovation efforts worldwide.
Karnataka’s Aerospace and Defence Leadership
Karnataka, and especially Bengaluru, is consistently ranked among the world’s top three aerospace cities for foreign investments. The state’s Aerospace and Defence Policy offers attractive incentives which, combined with robust research institutions and collaborations between global majors, startups, and academia, have built a thriving ecosystem for advanced manufacturing and research.
Key players in Karnataka include:
Boeing, Airbus, and Collins Aerospace for advanced technologies and manufacturing
Wipro and Mahindra Aerospace for structural components
Tata Advanced Systems and Sarla in end-to-end manufacturing.
Rolls-Royce’s Deep India Roots
The company’s relationship with India dates back over 90 years. Today, more than 1,400 Rolls-Royce engines power platforms across the Indian Air Force, Navy, Coast Guard, and Army, and the Indian talent pool contributes more than 3,000 skilled employees dedicated to global project development—over 2,000 of whom are high-skilled engineers in Karnataka.
Rolls-Royce has established deep partnerships and joint ventures with Indian companies like:
Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL)
Force Motors
Tata
Bharat Forge
Godrej & Boyce
These collaborations are focused on producing complex aerospace and defence parts, transferring technology, and co-developing strategic manufacturing capabilities.
Strategic Impact and Vision
Rolls-Royce’s doubling down on India is set to accelerate local capability and support the nation’s ambitions for self-reliance in aerospace and defence technology. As Rolls-Royce CFO Helen McCabe noted, this newly expanded centre "reaffirms our commitment to India and will be our largest capability hub," underlining the company’s confidence in Indian talent and market potential.
Bengaluru’s emergence as a global aerospace city and Rolls-Royce’s latest expansion further solidify the city’s—and India’s—position as a powerhouse for advanced engineering, defence manufacturing, and digital innovation on a worldwide stage.