India Partners with Sanctioned Russian Firm to Manufacture Passenger Aircraft

State-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has signed an agreement with Russia’s United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) to manufacture the SJ-100 passenger aircraft in India. The deal marks a major step for India's domestic civil aviation manufacturing and aligns with the 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat' initiative. The collaboration is geopolitically significant as UAC is under US and EU sanctions. The twin-engine, short-haul jets are expected to boost regional connectivity under the UDAN scheme, addressing a growing demand for such aircraft in India.