The signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between Hindustan Aeronautics Limited and Russia’s Public Joint Stock Company United Aircraft Corporation marks a historic milestone for India’s civil aviation ambitions.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh hailed the collaboration as a transformative step, describing the SJ-100 project as a game changer that will reshape short-haul passenger connectivity across the country under the UDAN regional air network initiative.

He noted that the SJ-100 will be the first complete passenger aircraft to be manufactured in India since the AVRO program that operated between 1961 and 1988. This achievement signifies a revival of India’s indigenous aircraft manufacturing capability, driven by the broader vision of Atmanirbharta, or self-reliance, in civil aviation.

Singh emphasised that the partnership would not only boost industrial capacity but also pave the way for robust job creation in the aviation and allied sectors.

According to the agreement, the two companies will cooperate on the production of the twin-engine, narrow-body SJ-100 aircraft in India. More than 200 units of the aircraft are already in commercial operation across sixteen airlines worldwide.

Under the terms of the MoU, HAL will gain production rights for manufacturing and supplying the SJ-100 to Indian customers, enabling the platform to form the backbone of India’s future regional connectivity fleet.

The deal was signed in Moscow on 27 October 2025 and announced by HAL shortly after. The state-run aerospace major described the initiative as a significant step toward a self-reliant passenger aircraft ecosystem.

The move aligns with India’s growing emphasis on strengthening the domestic manufacturing base for both defence and civil aviation, supported by public-private collaboration and global partnerships.

The SJ-100 project is expected to significantly strengthen the private sector through component manufacturing and subcontracting work, creating a wider industrial supply chain. With India’s expanding air travel market and government incentives to improve regional connectivity, producing the SJ-100 domestically could accelerate infrastructure development and reduce dependence on foreign-built commercial aircraft.

Rajnath Singh congratulated HAL and the United Aircraft Corporation for their decisive progress, calling the pact an embodiment of India’s long-term vision to become not just a defence manufacturing hub, but also a civil aviation production centre with global competitiveness.

Based On ANI Report