India Russia Sign Pact to Produce SJ-100 Regional Jets Domestically

India's state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has signed a memorandum of understanding with Russia's United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) to manufacture the SJ-100 civil commuter aircraft domestically, marking India's first significant passenger aircraft production in decades. This collaboration, announced ahead of President Vladimir Putin's visit to India, strengthens the resilient ties between the two countries despite Western sanctions on Russia and pressures on their partnership. The SJ-100, a twin-engine, narrow-body regional jet already operated by multiple airlines globally, is expected to support India's regional connectivity goals under the UDAN scheme and meet an estimated demand for over 200 jets in the next decade. HAL emphasized that this pact advances India's ambition for self-reliance in civil aviation, creating new jobs and boosting private sector growth, while also positioning India as a potential global civil aircraft manufacturer. The deal revives India's civil aviation manufacturing, which had been dormant since HAL's production of the AVRO HS-748 ended in 1988, and challenges the dominance of Boeing and Airbus in the regional jet market. Despite UAC being subject to Western sanctions, India maintains its stance against unilateral sanctions and criticizes the double standards of Western countries continuing to purchase Russian goods.