India is emerging as a potential manufacturing partner for Russia’s passenger aircraft, as the country is preparing its domestic aviation industry for a new international role. The strategy extends beyond the export of completed aircraft; Moscow aims to maintain control over the marketing of the aircraft, establish local assembly lines, and share manufacturing expertise. Additionally, it seeks to establish long-term industrial cooperation.
In October 2026, Russian Industry and Trade Minister Anton Alikhanov laid out a more extensive objective that is reflected in the approach. He stated that Russia had acquired major technological capabilities recently that could be applied to foreign markets. He identified aviation as the sector in which the country had made its most notable technological progress.
However, the act of sharing experience does not necessarily entail the transfer of an aircraft program without any constraints. Moscow’s strategy for technology transfer through licensing agreements was clarified in an interview published by the Russian business publication Expert on September 2, 2026.
Russia’s Aviation Breakthrough Becomes an Export Opportunity
Alikhanov contended that Russia had acquired expertise that could be in demand in international markets when discussing its technological advancements. The aviation industry is of particular importance due to the fact that Russian manufacturers have been seeking to replace foreign equipment with domestically developed systems in their passenger aircraft programs.
The import-substitution effort encompasses aircraft systems, avionics, engines, and other critical components. The Il-114-300 regional turboprop and the Tu-214, in addition to programs such as the MC-21 and SJ-100, have been instrumental in this effort.
The task is no longer limited to the development of aircraft for the domestic market. Russia is also interested in leveraging the capabilities that have been developed during this transformation to create commercial opportunities abroad, particularly through partnerships with countries that are interested in expanding their own aviation manufacturing industries.
A potentially key market for that strategy is India. The demand for regional connectivity, the established aerospace manufacturing base, and industrial cooperation with Russia present opportunities for a relationship that could extend beyond the purchase of aircraft.
India Deal: Russia Will Share Only What the Licence Allows
The primary concern is the amount of Russian aviation technology that India will receive and whether licensing could enable Indian manufacturers to independently produce and sell the aircraft.
In an interview with Expert on September 2, Gennady Abramenkov, the deputy industry and trade minister of Russia who is responsible for the aviation sector, explicitly addressed this matter. He clarified that the transfer of design documentation would be restricted to the portions specified in the licensing agreement when asked whether the planned assembly of the Superjet and Il-114 in India would necessitate Russia to provide design documentation.
The design and technological documentation necessary for the components and assemblies that the Indian partner was authorized to manufacture would be provided by Russia. Abramenkov also underscored that the agreement would forbid the sale of the aircraft without Russian consent. At the time of the interview, negotiations regarding the proposed assembly arrangements were still underway.
This distinction is important. Russia is proposing to share the knowledge necessary for licensed production without automatically transferring unrestricted control over the aircraft programme. The precise boundaries will be contingent upon the final agreements, which will include the commercial conditions and manufacturing rights that the two parties have negotiated.
SJ-100: HAL Partnership Moves Towards Production
The SJ-100 is the main project in Russia’s proposed aviation partnership with India. The foreign-origin systems of the aircraft have been replaced with Russian-developed alternatives, including the PD-8 turbofan engine, as part of a major import-substitution program.
A framework for cooperation on licensed Superjet production was established by the signing of an agreement between Russia’s United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) and India’s Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) in January 2026. It is expected that UAC will provide support for the engineering and preparation of Indian manufacturing facilities, while HAL will contribute to the industrial and regulatory work necessary to establish production locally.
According to Vadim Badekha, the chief executive of UAC, over 80% of the licensing agreement had been reached by September 9, and the signing is expected to occur in the near future. The stated objective was to start production within three years and eventually achieve an annual production rate of 20 to 40 aircraft. Notably, these figures indicate planned production rather than an established delivery rate.
In addition to aircraft assembly, the proposed partnership encompasses additional activities. Indian specialists will receive training, maintenance facilities, component manufacturing, and spare-part storage as part of a more comprehensive package, as described by Russian officials. These arrangements could assist in the development of the support infrastructure required to operate the aircraft commercially throughout its service life.
Il-114-300 Opens Another Route for Cooperation
The Il-114-300, which is intended for regional routes and operations from airports with more limited infrastructure, represents the second significant opportunity.
In India, a regional turboprop that is locally assembled could serve shorter routes and support regional connectivity, thereby complementing larger passenger aircraft. The program provides Russia with an additional opportunity to export both the aircraft and the associated manufacturing capabilities.
The commercial interest has advanced beyond general discussions. On September 10, the Federal Air Transport Agency of Russia announced that UAC had executed agreements with Indian entities that expected the delivery of 85 Il-114-300 aircraft. This included a memorandum of understanding with Sleek Aviation that involved 35 aircraft and a proposed pilot-training center, as well as a statement of intent for 50 aircraft in the name of Pinnacle Air. These commitments should not be confused with 85 confirmed aircraft deliveries or completed aircraft sales.
Nevertheless, the implementation of local production will necessitate additional regulatory compliance and negotiations. The certification requirements for the aircraft, the TV7-117ST-01 engine, and the AV-112 propeller have been the subject of discussion between the Russian and Indian aviation authorities. Before the aircraft can be introduced into commercial service in India, it must undergo certification and validation.
Russia’s Strategy: Technology Transfer With Conditions
Russia’s emerging strategy is to convert domestic aviation expertise into an exportable industrial package. It is pursuing licensing, local manufacturing, technical support, and workforce training, rather than relying exclusively on shipments of finished aircraft.
Access to Russian aircraft technology and new manufacturing capabilities could be advantageous for India, while Russian manufacturers could establish a strong presence in a substantial aviation market. The licensing model also provides Moscow with a contractual mechanism to determine the technologies that are shared and the manner in which the resulting aircraft may be sold.
By sharing experience and manufacturing knowledge under licenses that preserve Russian supervision of the resulting products, the India negotiations provide a tangible example of how Moscow aspires to achieve this.