HAL Signs MoU with Russia’s UAC to Manufacture SJ-100 Passenger Aircraft in India

New Delhi, Oct 2025 : Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) on Tuesday announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Russia’s Public Joint Stock Company United Aircraft Corporation (PJSC-UAC) to collaborate on the production of the SJ-100 civil commuter aircraft in Moscow, Russia.

The MoU was signed by Prabhat Ranjan from HAL and Oleg Bogomolov from PJSC-UAC, in the presence of D.K. Sunil, Chairman and Managing Director of HAL, and Vadim Badeka, Director General of PJSC-UAC, the company said in an exchange filing.

The SJ-100 is a twin-engine, narrow-body passenger aircraft currently in service worldwide, with over 200 aircraft operated by 16 commercial airlines. HAL stated that the collaboration would significantly strengthen India’s regional aviation sector, particularly enhancing short-haul connectivity under the government’s UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik) scheme.

“This partnership marks a historic milestone for Indian aviation. The SJ-100 will be a game changer for regional air connectivity, and HAL will have rights to manufacture the aircraft under this arrangement,” the company said.

The agreement represents a major leap forward for India’s aerospace industry, as it will be the first time in over three decades that a complete passenger aircraft will be manufactured in the country. The last such project was HAL’s production of the AVRO HS748, which began in 1961 and continued until 1988.

HAL estimates that India’s aviation market will require over 200 jets in this category over the next decade to improve regional air connectivity. Additionally, around 350 aircraft may be needed to serve destinations across the Indian Ocean region, catering to rising international tourism demand.

With this collaboration, HAL aims to play a pivotal role in realizing India’s vision of becoming an aerospace manufacturing hub, aligning with the government’s ‘Make in India’ initiative. The partnership is expected to rejuvenate domestic aircraft manufacturing and position India as a key player in regional and global civil aviation.