India and Russia Sign Major Agreement to Jointly Produce SJ-100 Passenger Aircraft
India and Russia have signed a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between their state-owned aviation manufacturers, marking a new era of cooperation in civil aviation. Under this agreement, Russia’s SJ-100 series light passenger aircraft will be manufactured or assembled at the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) facility in India — a move expected to significantly boost India’s domestic aviation manufacturing capabilities.
The main partners in this joint venture are Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) from India and United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) from Russia. As per the MoU, Russia will supply the engines, avionics systems, and key technological components for the aircraft. Indian conglomerates such as the Tata Group and Adani Group are also expected to participate in various stages of the manufacturing process. This collaboration is expected to strengthen India’s local aviation ecosystem and industrial base.
The SJ-100 series aircraft, formerly known as the Sukhoi Superjet 100, is a twin-engine regional passenger jet designed for short- to medium-range flights. It is now produced under the Yakovlev SJ-100 name by UAC, which has absorbed the former Sukhoi Civil Aircraft Company.
The SJ-100 project began in 2000, with its first test flight taking place on May 19, 2008, and its first commercial flight on April 21, 2011. To date, approximately 235 aircraft of this model have been produced and are operated by more than 16 airlines worldwide.
The aircraft weighs between 46 and 49 tons and typically accommodates around 100 passengers. It is powered by PowerJet SaM146 turbofan engines, jointly developed by France’s Safran and Russia’s NPO Saturn.
This partnership marks the first time India will assemble a light passenger aircraft with Russian technological support. The initiative is expected to provide India with valuable experience in aircraft design and manufacturing while paving the way for the development of indigenous passenger aircraft in the future.
Analysts see this as an important milestone in India’s journey toward technological self-reliance and civil aviation modernization.
Sources: Wikipedia, BBC, and author’s own analysis.
