Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), India’s state-owned aerospace company, has announced plans to start assembling semi knock‑down (SKD) units of the Superjet 100 (SJ100) aircraft in India within the next three years, according to HAL Chairman and Managing Director Dr. D.K. Sunil.
The initiative comes after HAL signed an agreement with Russia’s United Aircraft Corporation (PJSC‑UAC) to collaborate on the production of SJ100 aircraft. Under this agreement, HAL will receive aircraft components from Russia, which will be assembled domestically at its existing facilities, enabling India to gradually build expertise in regional passenger aircraft manufacturing.
Dr. Sunil explained that HAL plans to lease around 10–20 aircraft directly from Russia in flyaway condition to ensure early operations while the domestic assembly lines are being set up. He emphasized that the semi knock‑down approach will allow HAL to begin rolling out aircraft sooner, rather than waiting for full indigenous production capacity.
Currently, HAL earns only about 4–5 percent of its revenues from civil aviation, but the company aims to increase this to 25 percent over the next decade, signaling a major focus on the civil aviation sector alongside its defence operations.
The SJ100 is a regional jet seating approximately 100 passengers, already in service with airlines in multiple countries. HAL’s assembly of SKD units will be a key step toward establishing a regional aircraft manufacturing ecosystem in India, supporting the government’s broader goals of boosting domestic aerospace capabilities and civil aviation growth.
Dr. Sunil concluded by highlighting HAL’s commitment to building infrastructure, testing facilities, and production capabilities for SJ100 assembly within three years, positioning India as a capable hub for regional jet manufacturing in the long term.