Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and Public Joint Stock Company United Aircraft Corporation (PJSC-UAC) Russia signed an MoU for production of civil commuter aircraft SJ-100 in Moscow.
SJ-1 00 is a twin-engine, narrow-body aircraft. As on date, more than 200 aircraft have been produced and are being operated by more than 16 commercial airline operators. SJ-100 will be the game changer for short-haul connectivity under the UDAN Scheme in India. Under this arrangement, HAL will have the rights to manufacture SJ-100 aircraft for domestic customers.
So no saras ?
So no saras ?
This is official confirmation the RTA is dead . Long live the SJ-100.
For every 3/4 moves this GoI has gotten right in advanced state of the art technology like development of the electronics industry in India , bringing the entire SMC eco system into India , developments in Quantum Computing & Communications , 5G & 6G systems , procrastination on the JV for the 120 KN TF , underfunding of the Kaveri program , zero consideration of capability building in the Civilian Aerospace sector stand out like a sore thumb.
Guess you can't win 'em all !
For every 3/4 moves this GoI has gotten right in advanced state of the art technology like development of the electronics industry in India , bringing the entire SMC eco system into India , developments in Quantum Computing & Communications , 5G & 6G systems , procrastination on the JV for the 120 KN TF , underfunding of the Kaveri program , zero consideration of capability building in the Civilian Aerospace sector stand out like a sore thumb.
Guess you can't win 'em all !
I thought reliance was looking to enter into aerospace market. Manufacturing civilian aircrafts
.
No airline in India will buy Sukhoi SJ-100, it had terrible spares support when Russia was not under sanctions, now you cannot even get engines for this aircraft. The old tech, inefficient Russian engine makes this plane pointless.
Ah! I was wondering why HAL chose it and Why "HAL" and not any other partner did it. Now it makes sense! Old and inefficient, it's like HAL & SJ-100 are made for each other.
P.S. I am just kidding. I do not know enough about the topic to really comment. I am just using stereotype for HAL.
Just thinking aloud but perhaps we're looking into the possibility of buying the design of the AC , altering what needs to be altered and then adapting it as our RTA .
Even otherwise we've never used Russian civilian airliners ever in our history. Besides as you rightly pointed out there are major issues in after sales support on the part of the Russians.
This was true even for their military exports much before the present war in Ukraine.
New Russian PD-8 engine is as advanced as any recent new engine of the western world.
Most of the components used in Sukhoi Superjet is western, even before the Ukraine war no major airline was ready to buy it, now the situation is dire even for Russians themselves. HAL cannot force Indigo, Air India etc to buy this jet like they are able to force Indian Air Force.
Good article on the current production and percentage of imported parts:
Russia Slashes Airliner Engine Production As Domestic Airliner Production Flounders
As it becomes ever clearer Russia's plan to produce 1,000 aircraft by 2030 is a pipedream, it has slashed production of aircraft engines.
simpleflying.com
It only makes sense if we get the Safran engine and licence produce the original European certified version of the plane.
Imo, Embraer is a better bet for RTA. As part of the MTA deal, they could be asked to co-produce a civilian spin-off of KC-390 or perhaps an E-190 variant in India.
We haven't been able to leverage billions of dollars worth of A320/B737 orders to get an FAL in India. On the other hand, Airbus has just inaugurated a 2nd FAL in China.
Embraer is seeing record growth right now, so our leverage during negotiations(especially if we want more aviation manufacturing in India) won't be as strong as it will be with russia, which is struggling to find customers for its sj100.
Key indicators of commercial growth in 2025
Record backlog: In the third quarter of 2025, Embraer's firm order backlog reached an all-time high of $31.3 billion. The commercial aviation division accounted for $15.2 billion of this figure, the highest level for that segment in nine years.
Significant order increases: The backlog has seen massive year-over-year growth. The commercial segment backlog grew 37% compared to the third quarter of 2024, and the total company backlog was up 38%.
High-profile customer deals: Major recent wins are driving this growth, including:
Avelo Airlines: A firm order for 50 E195-E2s, with options for 50 more.
LATAM Airlines Group: An order for 24 E195-E2 aircraft, with options for up to 50 more.
Scandinavian Airlines (SAS): An agreement to acquire 45 E195-E2 jets.
SkyWest: A firm order for 60 aircraft.
Increased deliveries: Embraer delivered 20 commercial jets in the third quarter of 2025, an increase from 16 in the same period of 2024. Full-year 2025 delivery guidance for the commercial division forecasts a 10% increase compared to 2024.
We can also replace certain russian components with western ones for indian market if required.
Also in embraer's case *almost all* high tech key components are sourced from western manufacturers, embraer itself doesn't have any capabilities to make them itself.
From engines to avionics to fly by wire to cockpit to APU.
Apparently, EASA has revoked type certification for SSJ and other Russian airliner models. Western avionics, engines and other systems are likely restricted too.
No Indian airline would want to touch it with a barge pole in such a situation. Wonder if HAL even bothered to do its due diligence before signing this MoU.
EASA Slams the Door on Russian Aerospace | AIN
EASA has stripped Russian aircraft, MROs, and airlines of type and operating certificates.
www.ainonline.com
Wait. But if it's meant for inland airtravel for shorter routes.. then does western certification matter?Apparently, EASA has revoked type certification for SSJ and other Russian airliner models. Western avionics, engines and other systems are likely restricted too.
No Indian airline would want to touch it with a barge pole in such a situation. Wonder if HAL even bothered to do its due diligence before signing this MoU.
EASA Slams the Door on Russian Aerospace | AIN
EASA has stripped Russian aircraft, MROs, and airlines of type and operating certificates.
If we can build the capacity to build CA in India.. can't we make components and sub components in India too. Since we are delving into military engines, using SAFRAN help (?) .. can't that be leveraged right there.
Given the demand of such planes, will slowed economies of west be able to dismiss Indian market ( selling sub components & other systems in initial phase) .. HAL will fit right into the grey are needed to pull this imo.. but it's corporates structure and work culture will need a overhaul. i.e. it's civilian arm can't be under govt control
I'd say turboprops like ATR-42/72 or Q400 would likely be the preferred choice on regional routes (UDAN etc).
Airline operators anyways run a tight ship and will not risk operating margins on the relatively unproven SSJ. Opex would be a big factor vs Western ac.
Now that Air India has been returned to the Tatas, HAL can't bank on orders from them either. Till date, they have only managed to sell about 2 dozen Dhruv civil variants to fellow PSU Pawan Hans.
I'd think Tata would have better propects with a commuter version of C-295 in the regional segment than HAL with SSJ.
Yes I recall reading the Europeans & the Americans had suspended supply of all such components once the war in Ukraine commenced including revocation of any & every certification those aircraft may have received except I was too caught up in work to elaborate on that post .Most of the components used in Sukhoi Superjet is western, even before the Ukraine war no major airline was ready to buy it, now the situation is dire even for Russians themselves. HAL cannot force Indigo, Air India etc to buy this jet like they are able to force Indian Air Force.
Good article on the current production and percentage of imported parts:
Russia Slashes Airliner Engine Production As Domestic Airliner Production Flounders
As it becomes ever clearer Russia's plan to produce 1,000 aircraft by 2030 is a pipedream, it has slashed production of aircraft engines.
I see another member has attached links testifying to the same. Hence my post that we ought to be looking at production cum indigenization on the same lines as the MKI.
Another factor to be noted is civilian airliners look for ruggedness which implies minimal maintenance & of course fuel efficiency. I'm not sure where does Russia stand on this though I wouldn't be surprised in the least if the Russians score less on both parameters as compared to their counterparts in the west.
That's one of the reasons the Chinese COMAC C-919 hasn't found any takers outside of China. As far as India is concerned the RTA was in any case supposed to cater to domestic traffic or at best within the Indian sub continent.
If there's not much by way of performance difference between the SJ-100 or even as far as the maintenance aspect goes we can simply raise import tariffs on Airbus & Boeing thus forcing domestic airlines to buy these.
That's not much of an issue. If Airbus or Boeing raise a noise point out to them that they were invited to set up a FAL here . You refuse , there are consequences.
These projects need to be taken up in mission mode with someone with the knowledge experience expertise & access to the PMO heading the project like the way the Chinese went about developing their civilian airliner .
Otherwise what's happening in the Mum Ahd HSR Project is before you . Silo isation is the name of the game & everybody is doing their own thing often working at cross purposes with others involved in the same project.
I'm not sure the KC-390 has been designed keeping comercial airlines in view. Had that been the case EMBRAER would've been hawking it across the world.
Having said that , both Mahindra & EMBRAER can look to mfg the E-190 here which would be a direct competitor to the SJ-1000 . Unlike the FA scene there's definitely scope for 2 or more OEMs in the civilian airliner space .
We need both a civilian & military aerospace commission which can look into these issues as well how best to progress indigenization followed by domestic design as well as creating a domestic civilian as well as military aerospace ecosystem.
Without such a centralised body we'd have these random atom moments at times unproductive at times working at cross purposes , at times delivering sub optimal outcomes & 1/4 times delivering productive outcomes.
Unrelated to sj100's feasibility for India
But, We operate both turboprops and turbofan powered regional jets.
Turboprop aircraft
ATR 72-600:
IndiGo: As of June 2025, IndiGo operated a fleet of 48 ATR 72-600s, configured for 78 passengers. The typical passenger capacity for this model can range from 44 to 78, depending on the configuration.
Alliance Air: This regional carrier operated 18 ATR 72-600 aircraft as of May 2024, configured with 72 seats.
Fly91: As of October 2025, this airline had three ATR 72 aircraft in service. In April 2025, it acquired two more, bringing its fleet to four. The standard passenger capacity for Fly91's ATR 72-600 is 72 seats.
De Havilland Canada Dash 8-400 (Q400):
SpiceJet: The airline operates a number of these turboprops, though the exact current fleet count was not specified. This model is capable of seating up to 90 passengers. A standard configuration can have 78 seats.
Dornier 228:
Alliance Air: The airline operated a single 17-seater Dornier 228 aircraft as of May 2024.
Regional jets(turbofan)
Embraer E175:
Star Air: This carrier has been taking deliveries of the E175 since April 2025. Its E175 jets are configured for 76 passengers, including 12 business class seats and 64 economy seats.
Embraer E145:
Star Air: Operates this model with a 50-passenger capacity and a 1-2 seat layout.
Larger narrow-body turbofan jets (also used for regional routes)
Airbus A320 Family:
IndiGo: The largest operator of the A320neo and A321neo in India. As of June 2025, its total fleet was over 300 aircraft. The number of seats on an A320neo typically ranges from 150 to 180.
Air India Express: This airline operates a fleet that includes Airbus A320 jets for its domestic routes.
Boeing 737 MAX:
Air India Express: Operates 25 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft. The passenger capacity for the 737 MAX-8 is typically between 162 and 178.
Akasa Air: Operates 24 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft.
SpiceJet: Operates 7 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft.
If you'd recall, the RTA concept design included both prop and TF variants because both are needed in a country our size.
But making a dent in the Indian market won't be easy for SSJ. Given that Indian airlines have 100s of A320, B737 and E175 on order, they'd likely opt for the same family of ac.
For example, AI might look at A220 instead of SSJ. The reason is predictable lifecycle costs, established MRO and fleet commonality/lower training costs.
Moreover, SSJ has recently been through a significant import substitution prog for cockpit avionics, engines, and other components which puts a question mark on operating costs.
Ultimately, HAL is a defence PSU. Entering into the civilian aviation market will be a steep hill for it to climb, given that there would be no captive customer like the IAF.
Alpha defence on youtube mentioned this could also be theatrical, as show peice achievement, because putin is visiting India.