HAL and Russia’s UAC sign MoU to produce SJ-100 passenger aircraft in India
The agreement strengthens India’s push to expand domestic manufacturing and can boost short-haul air travel as the country plans to double its number of airports by 2047
State-owned aerospace major Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and Russia’s United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to jointly produce the SJ-100 civil commuter aircraft in India.
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The announcement comes ahead of President Vladimir Putin’s scheduled visit to India in December, underscoring that ties between Moscow and New Delhi remain strong despite growing pressure from the White House.
'Collaboration built on mutual trust'
"This collaboration between HAL and UAC is the result of mutual trust between the organisations. This will also be the first instance wherein a complete passenger aircraft will be produced in India. The last such project was HAL’s production of the AVRO HS-748, which began in 1961 and concluded in 1988," HAL said in a statement.
HAL did not specify whether the agreement includes a transfer of technology to India or the scale of investment involved.
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The company added that over the next decade, India’s aviation sector is projected to require more than 200 aircraft in this category to enhance regional connectivity, along with a further 350 aircraft for the Indian Ocean region to serve nearby international tourist destinations.
Know about SJ-100 aircraft?
The SJ-100 is a twin-engine, narrow-body aircraft, with more than 200 units already produced and operated by over 16 commercial airline operators globally.
HAL said the aircraft would be a "game changer" for short-haul connectivity under the UDAN scheme, adding that under the new arrangement, HAL will have the rights to manufacture SJ-100 aircraft for Indian customers.
"The model is expected to play a key role in boosting regional air connectivity under the Centre’s UDAN scheme," the company said.
Step towards 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat'
The agreement strengthens India’s push to expand domestic manufacturing capacity and can provide more aircraft for short-haul air travel as the country plans to double its number of airports to 350 by 2047.
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"The manufacturing of the SJ-100 aircraft marks the beginning of a new chapter in the history of the Indian aviation industry. It’s a step towards fulfilling the dream of ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ in the civil aviation sector. Manufacturing will also strengthen the private sector and create direct and indirect jobs in the aviation industry," HAL said.
The MoU was signed in Moscow, Russia, on Monday (October 27) by Prabhat Ranjan from HAL and Oleg Bogomolov from UAC, in the presence of HAL CMD D K Sunil and UAC Director General Vadim Badekh.