BENGALURU: Defence PSU Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and Russia’s United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to manufacture the SJ-100 civil commuter aircraft in India.
The agreement, signed in Moscow on Tuesday, marks a major step towards India producing a complete passenger aircraft for the first time since the Avro HS-748 project ended in 1988.
The SJ-100 is a twin-engine, narrow-body aircraft already in commercial service, with more than 200 units operating across 16 airlines worldwide. Under the new arrangement, HAL will have the rights to manufacture the aircraft for Indian customers.
“The MoU was signed by Prabhat Ranjan from HAL and Oleg Bogomolov of PJSC-UAC in the presence of HAL CMD DK Sunil, UAC DG Vadim Badekha. The model is expected to play a key role in boosting regional air connectivity under the Centre’s UDAN scheme,” HAL said.
HAL described the collaboration as a product of “mutual trust” between the two companies, signalling deeper cooperation in civil aviation manufacturing.
Industry estimates suggest India will need more than 200 jets of this category in the next decade to meet regional demand, along with another 350 aircraft to serve nearby international destinations across the Indian Ocean region.
HAL said that producing the SJ-100 in India will mark a new phase for the country’s aviation industry, aligning with the Centre’s Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative to enhance domestic manufacturing capability. The project is also expected to generate employment and strengthen private-sector participation in aerospace production.
The move comes as India looks to expand its footprint in civil aviation manufacturing, moving beyond defence platforms to build aircraft for commercial and regional use.
HAL, however, did not elaborate on timelines for the conversion of the MoU into an actual understanding or on which of its units will take up the manufacturing of the aircraft. The PSU is already staring at fighter aircraft manufacturing targets that are beyond its current production capacity.
Chethan Kumar is a Senior Assistant Editor with the Times of Indi...
Read MoreChethan Kumar is a Senior Assistant Editor with the Times of India. Aside from specialising in Space & Science, he has reported extensively on varied topics, with special focus on defence, policy and data stories. He has covered multiple elections, too. As a young democracy grows out of adolescence, Chethan feels, there are reels of tales emerging which need to be captured. To do this, he alternates between the mundane goings-on of the Common Man and the wonder-filled worlds of scientists and scamsters, politicians and soldiers. In a career spanning nearly 18 years, he has reported from multiple datelines — Houston, Florida, Kochi, Hyderabad, Chennai, Sriharikota (AP), NH-1 (J&K Highway), New Delhi, Ahmedabad, Raichur, Bhatkal, Mysuru, Chamarajanagar, to name a few — but is based out of Bengaluru, India’s science capital that also hosts the ISRO HQ.
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