By R Chandrakanth
For decades, India has been one of the world’s fastest-growing aviation markets, yet paradoxically one of the few major economies without a domestically produced commercial passenger aircraft. From the end of the Avro HS-748 programme in the late 1980s to repeated but unrealised discussions around indigenous regional aircraft, the country’s civil aviation manufacturing ambition has remained largely grounded.
Today, however, a confluence of policy push, market demand and geopolitics has brought the idea back to centre stage. Two global aerospace players, Russia’s United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) and Brazil’s Embraer, are now offering India pathways into regional jet manufacturing, potentially reshaping the country’s civil aviation future.
At the heart of this renewed momentum is a simple reality. India needs regional aircraft at scale, and the global supply system is strained. With air travel expanding beyond metros, and government schemes such as UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik) struggling to find suitably sized aircraft, the case for a domestic regional jet programme has never been stronger.
The Regional Aircraft Gap
India’s aviation growth story is dominated by narrow-body jets like the Airbus A320 family and Boeing 737s. These aircraft have powered explosive growth on trunk routes connecting major cities, but they are often too large for thinner regional sectors. On the other end, turboprops such as the ATR 72 serve short hops well, but struggle on longer routes or in markets where passengers increasingly prefer jets.
This “missing middle” that is the routes of 500 to 1,500 kilometres connecting Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities, has long constrained India’s regional connectivity. UDAN, launched with the aim of democratizing air travel and opening underserved airports, has repeatedly run into fleet shortages. Airlines either cannot access enough regional jets or find them expensive to acquire and maintain due to dependence on imports and global lessors.
Demand for 200 Regional Jets
Government estimates suggest India could require more than 200 regional jets over the next decade for domestic operations alone, with additional demand emerging for short-haul international routes across South Asia, the Middle East and the Indian Ocean region. This demand underpins New Delhi’s renewed interest in not just buying regional aircraft, but building them.
The UAC–HAL Axis
Russia’s United Aircraft Corporation has emerged as one of the most direct and explicit partners in India’s regional jet ambition. In October 2025, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and UAC signed a Memorandum of Understanding to explore manufacturing the Sukhoi Superjet 100 (now rebranded as the Yakovlev SJ-100) in India. If realised, it would mark India’s first attempt in nearly four decades to domestically produce a complete commercial passenger aircraft.
The SJ-100 is a twin-engine regional jet seating around 75 to 100 passengers, placing it squarely in the segment India lacks. Developed in the late 2000s, it has been in service since the early 2010s, with around 200 aircraft delivered globally. While its commercial journey has been uneven, the platform is mature, certified and already flying, an important distinction from clean-sheet designs that take years and billions of dollars to materialise.
For India, the attraction lies not only in the aircraft itself but in the nature of Russia’s offer. UAC is willing to discuss local assembly, progressive indigenisation, technology transfer and even export-oriented production from India. In an environment where Airbus and Boeing have stopped short of establishing final assembly lines despite India’s massive order book, Russia’s openness stands out.
UAC has also floated the idea of jointly producing the Ilyushin Il-114, a rugged turboprop designed for short and semi-prepared runways. Such an aircraft could complement the SJ-100, offering India a broader regional fleet suited to diverse operating conditions—from Himalayan airstrips to island territories.
The SJ-100 Strategic Appeal
Technically, the SJ-100 sits in the same broad category as Embraer’s E-Jets and the Airbus A220, though it is often viewed as a generation behind the latest Western designs. With a range of around 3,500 kilometres, modern fly-by-wire controls and competitive operating economics on paper, it is well suited for Indian regional and secondary trunk routes.
The aircraft’s early reputation suffered due to reliability issues and dependence on Western suppliers, particularly the Franco-Russian SaM146 engines. Post-sanctions, Russia has responded by indigenising the platform, introducing the Aviadvigatel PD-8 engine and replacing several Western systems. While this reduces geopolitical vulnerability, it also means the aircraft is undergoing a transition phase that airlines will scrutinise carefully.
For Indian operators, the SJ-100’s appeal is strategic as much as operational. Airlines may accept a slightly less optimised aircraft if it comes with domestic production, assured spares, government backing and lower lifecycle risk through local maintenance ecosystems. HAL’s involvement could be crucial here, leveraging its decades of manufacturing and MRO experience.
Embraer’s Parallel Path with India
Running alongside Russia’s pitch is Embraer’s more market-driven engagement with India. The Brazilian manufacturer is already a proven leader in the regional jet segment, with its E-Jet family operating successfully across the world, including in India. Embraer’s aircraft enjoy a strong reputation for fuel efficiency, dispatch reliability and global support, qualities Indian airlines value highly.
Embraer has signalled interest in deepening its footprint in India beyond sales, particularly through partnerships in manufacturing, MRO, training and potentially assembly. Its recent strategic alignment with Indian conglomerates, including Adani, has added weight to speculation that Embraer could play a central role in India’s regional aircraft ecosystem.
Unlike Russia, Embraer is less likely to offer a full transfer of aircraft manufacturing intellectual property. However, it brings something equally valuable: a commercially successful platform, deep airline trust and integration with global leasing and financing markets. For India, Embraer represents a lower-risk, airline-friendly pathway to scaling regional connectivity, even if it does not immediately lead to a fully indigenous jet. The details of the venture may be revealed at Wings India in Hyderabad, according to sources.
HAL’s Foray into Civil Arena
A critical pillar of India’s ambition is HAL itself. Long focused on military aircraft, from fighters to helicopters, the company has limited experience in civil certification, airline support and commercial supply chains. The SJ-100 project could become HAL’s entry point into this unfamiliar but strategically vital domain.
Building a civil aircraft is fundamentally different from producing military platforms. It requires adherence to stringent civil aviation standards, global certification regimes, airline-driven timelines and relentless focus on cost and reliability. Aligning Russian designs with India’s DGCA requirements, and potentially international regulators, will be a complex, time-consuming process.
Yet the upside is substantial. A successful regional aircraft programme would catalyse India’s broader aerospace ecosystem, pulling in private suppliers, avionics firms, engine makers, composites specialists and MRO providers. It would also create thousands of high-skilled jobs and move India up the aerospace value chain from parts supplier to system integrator.
Geopolitics, Sanctions and Strategic Autonomy
The geopolitical dimension cannot be ignored, more so now with the US President Donald Trump becoming too transactional for the comfort of other nations, whether foes or allies. Russia’s civil aviation industry operates under Western sanctions, complicating financing, exports and global support. Critics argue this could limit the SJ-100’s international prospects. Supporters counter that India has historically managed such partnerships pragmatically, guided by strategic autonomy rather than alignment politics.
For New Delhi, working with both Russia and Embraer offers optionality. Russia provides a manufacturing shortcut and willingness to localise deeply; Embraer provides market credibility and airline confidence. Together, they create a competitive environment that could accelerate India’s learning curve.
Regional Jet Ambition at Inflection Point
India’s regional jet ambition sits at a delicate inflection point. The demand is real, the policy environment supportive, and global partners are willing. What remains uncertain is execution, financing, certification, airline buy-in and sustained political commitment over a decade or more.
If the UAC–HAL partnership evolves beyond MoUs into metal-cutting and deliveries, India could finally anchor a domestic commercial aircraft programme, starting modestly but scaling over time. If Embraer’s engagement translates into assembly lines and supply-chain integration, Indian industry gains exposure to global best practices.
Ultimately, this is not just about aircraft. It is about building an ecosystem, industrial, regulatory and technological, that India has lacked in civil aviation. Whether through Moscow, São José dos Campos, or a blend of both, the next few years may determine whether India remains the world’s largest aviation market without its own aircraft, or finally takes flight as a producer in its own right.
