Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu on Thursday said India and Russia have expanded discussions on manufacturing airplanes in the country, including turboprop IL-114 and Sukhoi Superjet 100 planes.
Speaking to reporters ahead of the BRICS Summit, Naidu said discussions were held with the Russian delegation regarding the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and Russia for aircraft manufacturing in India.
He said the aircraft are compatible with India’s regional connectivity requirements, especially with several airports being developed across the country.
“Regarding the Russian delegation, I would like to update you on the MoU that HAL had with Russia in terms of manufacturing a plane in the country. There are two kinds of planes. One is the turboprop IL-114, and also the Sukhoi Superjet 100, which is a jet-engine plane. So these two are quite compatible with our regional connectivity scheme,” Naidu said.
“With a lot of airports coming up, it is very important for us to connect them. And these planes are very efficient for us to connect them. So we have expanded the dialogue on that. And we want to start the process as soon as possible of getting their planes manufactured in the country. So that has been the crux of the discussion for us,” Naidu added.
Had a warm and productive meeting today with H.E. Mr. Anton Alikhanov, Hon’ble Minister of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation.
Under the leadership of Hon’ble PM, India–Russia ties continue to grow with aviation emerging as a key pillar of our strategic partnership.… pic.twitter.com/KoSaetRfxD
— Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu (@RamMNK) September 10, 2026
The Minister further said that India-Russia ties continue to grow, with aviation emerging as a key pillar of the strategic partnership.
Discussions and proposed deals cover potential deliveries and arrangements for 105 regional turboprop aircraft to Indian operators, including Pinnacle Air, Air Kerala, and Sleek Aviation.
Russia displayed its regional SJ-100, MC-21, and Il-114-300 aircraft at the Innoprom event in Delhi to target India’s expanding regional connectivity needs.
The growing aviation engagement comes as Russia seeks to deepen industrial cooperation with India beyond traditional defence platforms such as the MiG and Sukhoi fighter jets.
The proposed aircraft deals indicate a possible expansion of India-Russia aerospace ties into civil aviation, regional connectivity and aircraft manufacturing.
