In a landmark step strengthening Russo-Indian cooperation in the aerospace industry, Russia’s United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) and India’s Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) have signed a joint venture agreement to establish licensed production of the Sukhoi Superjet 100 (SJ-100) regional jet in India. The agreement was signed on the opening day of the Wings India 2026 international aviation exhibition, held from January 28 to 31 in Hyderabad.
The agreement was inked by UAC General Director Vadim Badeha and HAL Chairman Dr. D.K. Sunil, in the presence of notable dignitaries including Russia’s Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Gennady Abramenkov, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to India Denis Alipov, Trade Representative Andrey Sobolev, and Rosaviatsia’s Head of Aviation Equipment Certification Dmitry Kopysov. This pact follows a memorandum of understanding signed in Moscow in October last year, formalising discussions for collaborative production.
Under the terms of the agreement, HAL will assist UAC in the certification and validation process for the SJ-100 type certificate in India. In return, HAL will be granted a license to manufacture, sell, and maintain the aircraft, including essential components, parts, and accessories for repairs.
UAC, part of Russia’s Rostec corporation, will provide consultative support, design services, and specialist expertise to help HAL re-equip and organise its production facilities for SJ-100 assembly. This framework serves as a stepping stone toward a comprehensive master agreement, which will outline a detailed roadmap, timelines, financial parameters, and workload distribution between the parties.
The SJ-100, a redesigned variant of the original Superjet, represents a fully import-substituted Russian aircraft, featuring domestically developed systems and the PD-8 engine in place of the previous Franco-Russian SaM146 powerplant. This shift was necessitated by Western sanctions against Russia following geopolitical events, making the SJ-100 a regional jet with entirely domestic components. Demonstrating its capabilities, two SJ-100 prototypes flew to the exhibition in Hyderabad through the airspace of 10 countries, highlighting its reliability for long-range operations.
For India, the partnership aligns with the UDAN program, aimed at enhancing affordable air travel and expanding regional airport infrastructure. Local production could open new markets for the SJ-100 in South and Southeast Asia, boosting exports and technological transfer.
However, challenges remain, including ongoing certification delays for the SJ-100, the absence of stable serial production in Russia, and HAL’s limited experience in commercial passenger jet manufacturing. The venture also faces competition from other initiatives, such as Embraer’s partnership with Adani Group to produce E-Jet family aircraft in India.
