India’s state-run Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) and Russia’s United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) have further strengthened their three-decade-long partnership with the signing of a landmark deal for licensed production of the advanced Sukhoi Superjet 100 (SJ-100) civil commuter aircraft in India.
The signing ceremony took place on the sidelines of Wings India, Asia’s largest civil aviation exhibition, in Hyderabad.
The agreement was signed by UAC CEO Vadim Badekha and HAL Chairman Dr D.K. Sunil, with high-level dignitaries, including Russian Deputy Industry and Trade Minister Gennady Abramchenkov and Ambassador Denis Alipov, in attendance.
UAC stated that the agreement will serve as the basis for further cooperation between the companies. Specifically, the document states that HAL will assist UAC in the certification and validation of the Superjet aircraft in India.
HAL will be granted a license to manufacture and sell the SJ-100, including components, parts, and spare parts necessary for the aircraft’s maintenance and repair.
UAC, in turn, will assist HAL in organizing and re-equipping its production facilities for SJ-100 production through consulting, design services, and the involvement of specialists.
“The signing of this agreement marks an important step toward concluding a general agreement, which will outline the roadmap, timeframe, financial indicators, and a detailed breakdown of the respective workloads of the parties,” UAC noted.
Currently in service with more than 16 commercial airlines, the SJ-100 is a twin-engine, narrow-body aircraft with seating for up to 100 passengers. Over 200 such aircraft have already been produced.
Additionally, Hyderabad-based Indian startup Flamingo Aerospace has signed a preliminary agreement with UAC to procure six Il-114-300 regional airliners, becoming the first export customer for the aircraft. Deliveries under the agreement are set to commence from 2028.
2️⃣UAC–Flamingo deal: delivery of six Il-114-300 aircraft to India marks the first stage pic.twitter.com/A47hJGM3g1
— Sputnik India (@Sputnik_India) January 28, 2026
Sukhoi Stealth Jets For India?
Meanwhile, in a separate deal, HAL is independently pursuing the Su-57 co-production offer from Russia, evaluating costs and production volumes.
According to reports, HAL is considering an offer to co-produce two to three squadrons of Russia’s fifth-generation fighter jet to meet the Indian Air Force’s (IAF) requirement for an interim stealth fighter to plug the projected 10-year operational gap until the induction of the AMCA, India’s planned indigenous stealth fighter.
The signing of the HAL-UAC agreement on the SJ-100 and the Flamingo Aerospace agreement to procure six Il-114-300 aircraft will boost the chances of agreement on the Su-57 ‘Felon’ as well.
The flurry of agreements with UAC, Sukhoi’s parent company, comes at an important time.
Incidentally, 2026 also marks the 30th anniversary of the first landmark agreement between HAL and Sukhoi.
Three Decades Of Sukhoi-HAL Partnership In India
On November 30, 1996, India concluded a contract with Sukhoi/Rosoboronexport for the supply of 50 Su-30MKI fighters. This was a US$1.462 billion agreement for Russian-produced aircraft in “fly-away” condition, delivered in batches with phased customization for Indian requirements.
This 1996 contract is widely regarded as the foundational Indo-Russian agreement that laid the groundwork for deeper ties between HAL and Sukhoi.
Four years later, in 2000, HAL signed an agreement with Sukhoi for the license production of Su-30MKIs in India at its Nashik facility.
As of now, HAL has manufactured 222 Su-30MKIs at its Nashik facility. The final two of these 222 were handed over in early 2021, marking the end of that phase.
Alongwith the 50 Su-30MKIs bought in “fly-away” condition, India had a fleet of 272 Su-30MKIs, making it India’s frontline combat jet.
Subsequently, in December 2024, HAL signed a deal with UAC to manufacture 12 additional Su-30 MKIs in India, valued at US$1.3 billion.
After a three-decade-long successful partnership in combat aviation, HAL and UAC are now set to enter the civil aviation market.
Why SJ-100’s Production In India Is A Big Deal
This will be the first time that a complete passenger aircraft will be manufactured in India. The last such project carried out in India was HAL’s production of AVRO HS748, which started in 1961 and ended in 1988.
HAL was permitted to build the HS 748 under license, allowing it to make 89 aircraft, of which 72 went to the Indian Air Force and 17 to the national flag carrier, Indian Airlines.
The SJ-100’s production in India is significant, as it is one of the world’s fastest-growing civil aviation markets.
According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), India is already the world’s third-largest civil aviation market, behind the US and China.
Passenger traffic has been rising steadily, with air passenger numbers reaching 211 million annually by 2024, and projections estimate 300 million by 2030.
India’s civil aviation sector is projected to require approximately 1,000-1,500 new commercial aircraft over the next 10 years (2026–2035) to support fleet expansion and replacement amid surging passenger demand.
According to Boeing’s latest projections, airlines in India and South Asia will need nearly 3,300 new planes by 2044.
Since India is currently wholly dependent on Boeing and Airbus for its commercial aircraft fleet, domestic passenger jet manufacturing will help New Delhi save billions of dollars in foreign reserves.
In the last two years, Indigo and Air India, two of India’s largest passenger carriers, have ordered more than 1,100 aircraft (Indigo: 560, Air India: 570) in deals worth more than US$100 billion.
These are among the largest civil airliner orders in history.
With the HAL-UAC deal, India can domestically produce many of the aircraft it would otherwise have imported. At the same time, the agreement could facilitate UAC’s entry into India’s lucrative civil aviation market.
BIG:⚡️🇮🇳🇷🇺 India–Russia ink deal to launch licensed sanctions-proof SJ-100 production in India
HAL and Rostec’s UAC agreement covers certification support, local manufacturing, MRO, and deep industrial cooperation. https://t.co/doiAtaibVe pic.twitter.com/aAv86sODLE
— Sputnik India (@Sputnik_India) January 28, 2026
However, apart from India’s civil aviation market, UAC is also targeting its burgeoning needs for advanced fighter jets.
According to reports, HAL is considering a Russian proposal to manufacture the Su-57 ‘Felon,’ Russia’s fifth-generation fighter jet, domestically.
Su-57s To Be ‘Made in India’
According to reports, apart from the 114-fighter jet Rafale deal, India is also considering licensing the production of two to three squadrons of the Su-57 in India.
This will be a stopgap solution till India’s domestically designed fifth-generation fighter jet, AMCA, is ready.
UAC has earlier suggested that HAL’s existing Nasik facility, which produces the Su-30 MKIs, can be utilized to manufacture the Su-57 fighters.
UAC’s CEO, Vadim Badekha, told Russian reporters in Hyderabad on January 28 that Moscow and New Delhi are in a “deep technical stage” of negotiations on the supply and production of the Su-57 fighter jet in India.
“Today, we are in the deep technical stage of negotiations on this contract [for the Su-57]. Such contracts, given our experience, determine the trajectory of our cooperation for several decades to come,” Badekha said.
“Therefore, the contract requires extensive, in-depth study. It is currently in the advanced stage of technical consultations,” Badekha was quoted as saying by the Russian News agency TASS.
HAL’s Nashik division houses the final assembly line for Su-30MKI fighters. Its Koraput division in Odisha looks after the licensed production and overhaul of AL-31FP turbofan engines, while the facility in Kasaragod, Kerala, manufactures avionics components for the fighter jet.
According to a proposal submitted by UAC to HAL two months ago, HAL facilities already have nearly half the infrastructure required for the domestic production of the Su-57.
A Russian team is expected to submit a report on the overall cost that HAL will incur if both countries decide to proceed with the project.
While no final decision has been taken on the Su-57, the latest agreement between HAL and UAC on the local production of the SJ-100 is set to boost the chances of a made-in-India Su-57.
- Sumit Ahlawat has over a decade of experience in news media. He has worked with Press Trust of India, Times Now, Zee News, Economic Times, and Microsoft News. He holds a Master’s Degree in International Media and Modern History from the University of Sheffield, UK.
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