News Desk
NEW DELHI — In a move poised to reshape the global civil aviation landscape, India has inked a landmark agreement with Russia to co-produce the SJ-100, a domestically manufactured passenger aircraft that could mark the country’s formal entry into the competitive commercial aviation market.
The deal, signed on October 27 in Moscow between India’s state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and Russia’s United Aircraft Corporation (UAC), grants India the rights to manufacture the SJ-100 — a reengineered version of the Sukhoi Superjet 100 — for domestic use. The aircraft, now powered entirely by Russian-made components, including the new PD-8 engines and indigenous avionics, represents Moscow’s pivot away from Western suppliers amid ongoing sanctions.
“This is a historic first,” said Amit Malviya, head of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s National Information and Technology department. “With this, India enters the global civil aviation market, long dominated by Airbus and Boeing — breaking their near-monopoly.”
The partnership arrives at a time of geopolitical recalibration. Since the onset of Russia’s defence actions in Ukraine in 2022, Western sanctions have severely restricted Russia’s access to aircraft parts and maintenance support. In response, Russia has accelerated efforts to localize its aerospace supply chain, culminating in the SJ-100’s successful test flights earlier this year using fully domestic systems.
For India, the collaboration signals more than just industrial cooperation — it is a strategic leap toward self-reliance in high-tech manufacturing. The SJ-100 will be the first passenger aircraft fully produced in India, a milestone that aligns with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “Make in India” initiative and the country’s broader ambitions to become a global manufacturing hub.
Analysts note that the revamped model — stripped of Western dependencies — could find a niche in emerging markets seeking affordable, medium-range aircraft, especially at a time when Boeing’s manufacturing practices and safety record are under renewed scrutiny. HAL’s involvement also brings decades of aerospace engineering experience, potentially bolstering the aircraft’s credibility and performance.
For India, the opportunity to co-develop and manufacture a commercial jetliner represents a bold stride into a domain long dominated by Western aerospace giants.
As the global aviation industry seeks to diversify supply chains and reduce geopolitical risk, India’s bet on the SJ-100 may prove prescient — and transformative.
