Bangalore: British engine manufacturer Rolls Royce today (March 11, 2004) said it was considering partnerships with Indian firms to source expertise in software and engineering, adding it was not talking about "big outsourcing".

"There are specific areas of high-tech complementarity that we are exploring with Indian software and engineering companies," Rolls-Royce India Managing Director Tim Jones told reporters.

"We are talking to companies with capacities in engineering packages, stress analysis and engineering design validation. It is good logic to develop these in India and we expect that these will mature into programmes," he said.

Rolls-Royce, Jones said, was aiming at tapping local talent for development of content, including animation, authoring and simulation, for the firm's online learning programme.

Asked about the Hawk Advanced Jet trainer, he said, the company was waiting for the deal to be finalised for which Rolls-Royce is supplying the engines.