How Data Became Rolls-Royce’s Ultimate Asset
Rolls-Royce has long been synonymous with engineering excellence, powering the skies, seas, and cities with innovative engines. But now, Rolls-Royce plc, the company specialising in aerospace, defence, and power systems, is deep in the data game and leads it with a unique, grounded approach. At DES 2025, Hariharan Ganesan, VP and head of Rolls-Royce Data Labs, shed light on how the company is navigating the complex world of data and technology with discipline and foresight. Today, it focuses on three core business areas—civil aviation, defence, and power systems. In the civil space, Rolls-Royce engines power primary commercial aircraft, including the ultra-efficient Airbus A350, commonly used on long-haul routes like Delhi to London. The company powered India’s first commercial aircraft flight, which was operated by Tata, in 1932. The defence segment sees Rolls-Royce as a leading engine provider for military transport and combat vehicles, with the Indian government being a key customer. On the power systems front, Rolls-Royce is one of the leading manufacturers of high-speed diesel engines used in trains, marine ships, submarines, and data centres. “Operations in India, centred in Pune and Bengaluru, are critical to this engine of innovation, with a workforce of 300–400 professionals supporting global operations,” Ganesan said. The Rise of Data Labs Rolls-Royce’s journey with data is far from new; it’s been leveraging analytics for over a century to improve product efficiency, safety, and availability. “But in 2017, the company recognised the need to modernise and scale up this capability to stay relevant in a rapidly evolving technological landscape,” he said, adding that the result of it was the creation of Data Labs in 2018, a centralised capability hub dedicated to driving digital transformation across divisions. It had recently leveraged ServiceNow’s AI agents to enhance operational efficiency. According to Ganesan, Data Labs functions on three core principles: people, value, and resilience. He said that the focus is on hiring domain-aligned talent who understand the business impact of their work and on prioritising initiatives that deliver measurable business outcomes, such as cost reduction or revenue growth. Additionally, there is a focus on building sustainable systems through repeatable processes and strong collaboration models, including partnerships with various service providers in India. Despite having a clear strategy, Ganesan said that the journey has faced several ongoing challenges, including the value of the technology that the firm is buying. “We are in an era where technology is emerging significantly. There are so many tools and opportunities, and it makes us think, why can’t we just start using them and unlock values?” he explained. Ganesan added that the market is under significant pressure to boost adoption and seek immediate return on investment. Another challenge he highlighted was that most organisations’ data lives in silos, challenging the quality of data. Another challenge for him is achieving impactful analytics, which comes along with choosing the right problem statement to apply the data analytics in the first place. “When we started modernising ourselves more, cyber threats also increased,” Ganesan explained.  Companies like Rolls-Royce are predominantly focused on building on their existing strengths. “We have a great IP. We want to protect it. Any cyber threat could cost us reputation damage,” he added. Last but not least, talent itself remains a challenge. He observed that the nature of talent has evolved over the past decade, prompting ongoing questions about whether the current team is equipped for today’s needs, if more training is required, or if partnering externally would be more effective in accessing the right skills for implementing new solutions. The Race Towards Solutions While Avoiding the Hype Ganesan shared four guiding practices that have helped steer the company through a maze of technological buzzwords and strategic pressure, avoiding the hype cycle. Instead of hastily adopting emerging technologies like LLMs, virtual reality, or blockchain, Rolls-Royce prioritises evaluating their relevance and practicality for the company. Ganesan noted that often, the issue doesn’t require advanced technology, but demands a better methodology. He shared how the company, using Google Trends data as a proxy, mapped interest in various technologies over time. It was observed that while terms like “AI” and “digital transformation” show consistent upward movement, others like “3D printing” and “VR” exhibit seasonality, often peaking during annual strategy cycles. Yet, even these peaks are declining. The key takeaway, he said, is that the hype doesn’t equal lasting value. Rolls-Royce breaks down every process into its interactions between humans, machines, and data. This triad determines the process’s complexity and criticality. He said the company adapts traditional design thinking and interaction analysis to evaluate not just usability but also economic impact, citing an everyday analogy of hailing a cab. From waiting and negotiating to payment and tipping, each step involves layers of interaction that can be optimised, if not fully automated, based on where human effort and data intersect. Ganesan made it clear that digital transformation at Rolls-Royce is not about quick wins or adopting tech for tech’s sake. It’s about building a sustainable, resilient future.
Rolls-Royce’s Data Labs Head Hariharan Ganesan outlines data-driven innovation, resilience, and people-centric transformation powering aviation, defence, and energy systems globally.
Rolls-Royce’s Data Labs Head Hariharan Ganesan outlines data-driven innovation, resilience, and people-centric transformation powering aviation, defence, and energy systems globally.
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["AI", "analytics", "RAG", "R", "Go", "Git", "API", "GAN", "digital transformation", "innovation"]
Bala is a journalist covering Indian tech companies and startups from Bengaluru.