India interested in purchasing 100-200 Russian aircrafts from United Aircraft Corporation

By R Anil Kumar

• India and Russia have a decades-long partnership in aviation. The Indian Air Force (IAF) currently operates over 260 Sukhoi Su-30MKI jet fighters, the majority of which were license-produced in the country.

• The head of the United Aircraft Corporation Vadim Badekha pointed out that India has a significant need for such aircraft

Moscow/ Bengaluru, June 3, 2026. Indian airlines have expressed demand for up to 200 Russian Il-114-300 and SJ-100 aircraft, Vadim Badekha, the head of the United Aircraft Corporation (UAC), which is part of Rostec, said in an interview with TASS ahead of SPIEF-2026.

“India was the first to show serious interest in our aviation equipment. We participated in Wings India, where we showcased the SJ-100 and Il-114-300. Indian airlines have expressed demand for the Il-114-300 and SJ-100; we are talking about 100-200 aircraft,” he said. According to the head of the UAC, India has a significant need for such aircraft.

He also recalled that the UAC signed an agreement with India’s HAL on the possible licensed production of the SJ-100 at their facilities.

Earlier, Badekha told journalists that the production of the first “Superjet” aircraft in India could begin in three years. Badekha called the production rate of “Superjets” in India of 20-40 units per year a “good pace,” and overall, he estimated the potential of the Indian and nearby markets at 200-300 aircraft.

According to him, the UAC believes that the Il-114-300 aircraft should also be localized in India.

In addition to the agreement with HAL, the UAC also signed a preliminary agreement for the supply of six Il-114-300 aircraft with the Indian private company Flamingo Aerospace.

The St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) will take place on June 3-6 and will become the 29th edition. This year, the event will be held under the theme “Pragmatic Dialogue: the Path to a Stable Future.” Saudi Arabia is the guest country at SPIEF. The forum program is dedicated to shaping a new model of global development amid the ongoing transformation of the world economy.

The program includes the SME Forum, the Creative Industries Forum, the Day of the Future International Youth Economic Forum, and the Ensuring Drug Security Forum. As part of the cultural program, the Petersburg Seasons festival and the traditional SPIEF Sports Games will take place. This year, Russia’s national economic development institution VEB.RF is the title partner of SPIEF.

The Roscongress Foundation is the organizer of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum. TASS is its official general information partner.

At the Wings India 2026 Airshow held in Hyderabad, earlier this year, Russia’s United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) made a major international debut to showcase its newest regional aircraft and announce significant strategic partnerships with the Indian aviation sector.

Key highlights of UAC’s participation at the event included:

IL-114-300 Aircraft Deal: UAC signed a framework agreement with Indian startup Flamingo Aerospace for the supply of six 68-seater IL-114-300 regional turboprops. Deliveries are expected to begin around 2028, with the program laying the groundwork for phased aircraft assembly, maintenance, and localization in India.

Superjet SJ-100 Program: UAC and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) advanced an ongoing Memorandum of Understanding into a formal joint activity agreement. This partnership covers the certification, production, and after-sales support of the SJ-100 regional passenger jet in India.

Static Aircraft Display: UAC exhibited two fully Russian-manufactured aircraft at the Begumpet Airport: the IL-114-300 and the SJ-100. The SJ-100 was notably displayed in a special livery featuring elements of the Indian flag to demonstrate their alignment with India’s UDAN regional connectivity scheme.

More Than an aircraft The SJ-100 is India’s Fast Track to Aviation Self reliance

Indian aviation giant Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) of Russia signed a landmark deal for the license production of the Sukhoi Superjet 100 (SJ-100) airliner in India.

Flamingo Aerospace also firmed up a deal to buy six Il-114-300 turbojets from UAC, making the Hyderabad-based start-up the aircraft’s first export customer.

UAC said the agreement would “serve as the foundation for further cooperation on a project to establish licensed production of Superjets in India.”

Under the deal, HAL will help UAC gain a type certificate for the Superjet in India, and will be awarded a license to produce and sell the jet and parts for it.

The deal marks an important step toward concluding a general agreement on the timeframe, financial plan and a detailed breakdown of both sides work, UAC added.
The development marks a significant in India’s civilian aerospace domain, as the SJ-100 will be the first passenger aircraft that will be built locally in totality.

The deals are “significant because they signal India’s gradual entry into the civil aircraft manufacturing ecosystem, not just as a buyer but as a producer.”

With the HAL–UAC deal, India is getting exposure to civil aircraft production, certification processes, supply-chain management and lifecycle support — all of which are critical capabilities.

Turboprop aircraft are well-suited for the government’s UDAN scheme routes and smaller airports, and this platform could support connectivity to tier-two and tier-three cities if backed by local MRO and financing support.

The deals should be seen as strategic industrial schemes which will not disrupt the market overnight, but will help India reduce long-term dependence on the Airbus-Boeing duopoly and build the foundation for an indigenous regional aircraft program in the future, experts opine.