HAL & Russia's PJSC-UAC to Jointly Build SJ-100 Passenger Aircraft in India

By siliconindia | Tuesday, 28 October 2025, 07:28 Hrs

HAL and Russia’s PJSC-UAC sign MoU to produce SJ-100 civil aircraft in India.
Marks India’s return to full-scale passenger aircraft manufacturing after three decades.
Aims to strengthen regional connectivity under the UDAN scheme and meet demand for 200+ jets.

Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Russia’s United Aircraft Corporation (PJSC-UAC) to locally manufacture the SJ-100 civil commuter aircraft, marking a major milestone in India’s aviation sector. The agreement was signed in Moscow by Prabhat Ranjan of HAL and Oleg Bogomolov of PJSC-UAC, in the presence of HAL CMD C.B. Ananthakrishnan and PJSC-UAC Director General Vadim Badeka, the company said in a statement.

The SJ-100 is a twin-engine, narrow-body passenger aircraft already in operation with over 16 commercial airlines worldwide. More than 200 units of this jet have been produced globally. HAL said this collaboration would be a 'game changer' for short-haul air connectivity in India under the UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik) scheme, with HAL receiving rights to manufacture the aircraft domestically.

This project marks India’s return to passenger aircraft production after nearly four decades, the last being HAL’s AVRO HS748, produced between 1961 and 1988.

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Industry estimates suggest that India will require over 200 regional jets in the next decade to support growing air connectivity demands, alongside an additional 350 aircraft to serve the Indian Ocean region and nearby international routes.

HAL said the partnership aligns with India’s vision of self-reliance in aviation manufacturing and will help boost domestic capability in advanced aerostructures and systems.