Air TransportRussia’s UAC and HAL formalize SJ-100 airliner production talks in India
United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (UAC) have signed a joint venture agreement outlining cooperation to manufacture the SJ-100 regional jet in India, formalizing discussions that began with a memorandum of understanding signed last year.
The agreement was signed during the Wings India 2026 air show in Hyderabad by Vadim Badekha, chief executive of UAC, and D.K. Sunil, chairman of HAL, in the presence of Gennady Abramenkov, Russia’s deputy minister of industry and trade. The document establishes a framework for licensed production of the SJ-100 in India and sets the stage for further negotiations on a future master agreement.
The SJ-100 is a redesigned variant created from the original Superjet after Western sanctions imposed on Russia following its invasion of Ukraine. The aircraft replaces Western-supplied systems with domestically sourced components and is powered by the Russian-built PD-8 engine, which substitutes the SaM146 engine previously produced in cooperation with France’s Safran.
According to the terms disclosed, HAL is expected to support the certification and validation of the SJ-100 in India and would be licensed to manufacture and sell the aircraft locally, including parts and spares for maintenance and repair. UAC would assist HAL in preparing production facilities through consulting, design support and technical assistance.
The joint venture follows an MoU signed in Moscow in October, which outlined plans for local assembly of the SJ-100 in India and positioned the aircraft as a potential fit for the country’s UDAN regional connectivity program, aimed at expanding air services to underserved routes.
Embraer iniative
Despite the announcement, the project faces significant uncertainty. The SJ-100 remains in the certification phase in Russia after multiple delays, and the program has yet to demonstrate stable serial production. Analysts have also questioned the commercial viability of the aircraft, noting that UAC’s order book is heavily dependent on Russian state-backed customers, while HAL has no prior experience producing commercial jet aircraft.
The proposed SJ-100 venture would also face direct competition from a separate initiative involving Embraer and Adani Defence & Aerospace, which aims to establish production in India of newer regional jets, including the E175, E190-E2 and E195-E2. Those aircraft are already in commercial service worldwide and are more modern and fuel-efficient alternatives to the Russian design.
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