In a landmark step for India’s civil aviation ambitions, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Russia’s United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) to jointly produce the Sukhoi Superjet 100 (SJ-100) passenger aircraft in India.
The agreement, inked in Moscow, grants HAL the rights to assemble the twin-engine regional jet, marking India’s first major civilian aircraft manufacturing project in nearly four decades. The SJ-100, designed for short-haul routes, is expected to play a vital role in expanding India’s regional air connectivity and advancing the government’s ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ and ‘Make in India’ missions.
HAL said in a statement that the collaboration represents “a new chapter in the history of the Indian aviation industry,” emphasizing that the project would strengthen the private aerospace ecosystem, generate direct and indirect employment, and boost indigenous manufacturing capabilities in the civil aviation sector.
The move could reshape India’s position in the global aviation market, long dominated by American and European giants like Boeing and Airbus. More than 200 SJ-100 aircraft have already been produced globally and are operated by over a dozen airlines.
This partnership also aligns with India’s UDAN regional connectivity scheme, which seeks to link smaller towns and remote areas through affordable air travel. With India projected to require over 200 regional jets within the next decade, the initiative is seen as a timely step to meet future domestic demand.
The deal also evokes memories of HAL’s earlier venture into civil aviation — the AVRO HS-748, manufactured between 1961 and 1988. Since then, India’s commercial fleet has been almost entirely import-dependent.
Despite Western sanctions on Russia’s aerospace industry following the Ukraine conflict, both nations are deepening cooperation in high-technology sectors, including defence, space, and now civil aviation. Analysts see the HAL-UAC partnership as a strategic and economic milestone, diversifying India’s aviation supply chain and strengthening ties with Moscow.
