Russia's UAC, India's HAL sign contract for joint production of SJ-100 in India
MOSCOW. Jan 28 (Interfax) - PJSC United Aircraft Corporation (UAC, part of Rostec) and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) have signed a contract governing cooperation on the licensed production of Superjet 100 regional aircraft in India.
"The document formalizes the agreement that HAL will provide assistance to UAC within the process of certifying/validating the type certificate of the Superjet in India. At the same time, HAL will be granted a license for the production and sales of the SJ-100, including the assemblies, parts and components necessary for the repair and maintenance of this aircraft," UAC said.
The Russian corporation, in turn, will assist HAL in organizing and retrofitting HAL's production facilities for the production of the SJ-100 through consultations, design services and the engagement of specialists. A roadmap, timelines, financial indicators for the project and a detailed distribution of the parties' efforts are expected to be reflected in a general agreement.
The contract between UAC and HAL was concluded on the first day of the Wings India 2026 aviation exhibition in Hyderabad. On the eve of its opening, another memorandum on localizing aircraft production in India was signed between Brazil's Embraer and the conglomerate of Indian billionaire Gautam Adani, Adani Enterprises Ltd. and Adani Defence & Aerospace. Their partnership is aimed at cooperation in aircraft manufacturing (establishing an aircraft assembly line), after-sales service and pilot training, Embraer said. At this stage, no decision has been made on which type of aircraft will be produced in India. Currently, 50 Embraer aircraft are in operation in the country for passenger, military and business transportation, including 13 E175 and ERJ145 type airliners at the regional carrier Star Air.
India has the state program UDAN, launched to improve regional air connectivity through the development of airports across the country. According to Boeing's estimate, passenger air travel in India and South Asia will grow at an average of 7% annually over the next 20 years. Such demand means that airlines will require around 3,300 new aircraft by 2044, with narrow-body aircraft (which include both the SJ-100 and the E175 and ERJ145) accounting for nearly 90% of all forecasted deliveries. This will require the training of around 141,000 new specialists, including around 45,000 pilots, as many technicians, and 51,000 flight attendants.
Until 2022, Superjets created as part of international cooperation were serially produced in Russia. The project was halted due to imposed Western sanctions. The start of production of the import-substituted version of the aircraft is expected in 2026, with plans to deliver 12 ready-made aircraft to airlines within the year, said the head of Rostec Sergei Chemezov.
