SJ-100 project hailed as civil aviation milestone for Indian Aviation
The AVRO program manufacturing both civil and military transport aircrafts had operated between 1961 and 1988. Now 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 revival of India’s civil aviation.
This achievement signifies a new beginning in India’s indigenous aircraft manufacturing capability, in civil aviation. The SJ-100 will be the first complete passenger aircraft to be manufactured in India since the Avros.
Shrimp Rajnath Singh, Raksha Mantri hailed the collaboration as a transformative step, as the SJ-100 project will be a game changer that will transform the short-haul passenger connectivity across the country under the UDAN regional air network initiative. He said that the partnership would not only uplift the industrial capacity but also give a push to job creation in the aviation and allied sectors.
Raksha Mantri 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.
According to the agreement, the two companies will carry out 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.
As per the MoU, HAL will have 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.
