Of course reverse engineering doesn't close the gate to innovation because reverse engineering is only the step before innovation, every lagging behind country is doing, including India. Did you see Indian scientists design various wired shaped or structured engines to evaluate? Of course not, because US/Russia engines already show you what a jet engine should be, why waste money and time to come up something different? So, for every new comer in modern technologies, the first thing they do is to open the latest product and study it, which is reverse-engineering.
The next step will involve innovation since your industrial departments won't be able to 100% replicate the advancer's techs: your materials are heavier, your machines can't produce the component in that small size. So you have to do innovation now - design your own component with your own material and machines, or just figure out new materials or new machines. There is a lot of innovations involved here.
After the engines are tested, certified and started to mass production, your customers will raise more requests: lighter, smaller, more power, etc, etc. Now, you have to your own innovations on top of the mature product.