MOSCOW– In a landmark move for India’s civil aviation manufacturing sector, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and PJSC United Aircraft Corporation (PJSC-UAC) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to produce the SJ-100 civil commuter aircraft in India.
The aircraft will be made under the government’s “Make in India” initiative. The agreement was formalized during a ceremony in Moscow on 27 October 2025, where HAL’s representative Prabhat Ranjan and PJSC-UAC’s Oleg Bogomolov signed on behalf of their organizations.
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HAL and Russia SJ-100 Production in India
Under the MoU, HAL will have the right to manufacture the SJ-100 aircraft for domestic customers in India.
The SJ-100 is a twin-engine, narrow-body regional jet that has already been produced in over 200 units and is in operation with more than sixteen commercial airlines globally.
While detailed production schedules and localization levels remain under discussion, HAL indicated the move will stimulate domestic manufacturing, boost private-sector participation, and generate employment across the aerospace supply chain.
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Significance of Manufacturing SJ-100s in India
The agreement is widely seen as India’s first large-scale step into full passenger-aircraft manufacture since the days when HAL produced the Avro HS-748, which it built under license between 1961 and 1988.
Industry analysts view the HAL–UAC partnership as a strategic leap toward making India a regional aviation manufacturing hub and supporting the government’s target of self-reliance (“Aatmanirbhar Bharat”) in civil aviation.
Moreover, HAL estimates that over the next decade, India will require more than 200 regional jets of this category to serve smaller cities and an additional 350 aircraft for routes in the Indian Ocean region.
HAL said the partnership marks a major step in India’s push for self-reliance in passenger aircraft manufacturing and is expected to strengthen regional connectivity under the UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik) scheme.
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Impact of SJ-100s on Regional Connectivity
The SJ-100 is expected to become a game-changer for India’s short-haul domestic routes, particularly under the government’s UDAN scheme to enhance air travel to Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities.
With a passenger capacity of around 75-100 and a range of up to 3,530 kilometers, the aircraft is well-suited for regional operations.
By manufacturing the jet domestically, India aims to reduce dependence on imports, build a local aerospace ecosystem, and meet growing regional connectivity demand.
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Bottom Line
The MoU between HAL and PJSC-UAC to produce the SJ-100 in India is a major milestone in the nation’s civil aviation manufacturing journey.
It signals a revival of full-scale passenger-aircraft production in India and supports key government objectives: enhancing regional connectivity, creating a manufacturing ecosystem and pursuing self-reliance in aviation.
While many implementation details remain to be defined, the partnership marks a decisive step forward for India’s aerospace ambitions.
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