The head of the United Aircraft Corporation has said the first Superjet could be made in the South Asian country in 3 years

India has expressed an interest in buying up to 200 Russian regional aircraft, the head of the United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) has said.

Airline companies in the country have expressed an interest in the Il-114-300 and SJ-100 planes, Vadim Badekha, the head of the UAC, told TASS in an interview ahead of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF-2026).

Russia showcased theSJ-100 Superjet and the Il 114 300 turboprop plane at the Wings India2026 airshow in Hyderabad earlier this year.

"We are talking about 100-200 aircraft," Badekha said. He added that the first Superjet could be made in the South Asian country in 3 years.

The twin-engine Superjet can seat up to 100 passengers, while the Il-114-300 can carry 68. Both planes fall under the category of regional aircraft; they can be used to connect small towns to major airline hubs. For India, they are ideal for connecting its rapidly growing tier-2 and tier-3 cities.

India was the third-largest global air passenger market in 2025, with 160 airports operating scheduled flights, compared to 74 in 2014. New Delhi has allowed 100% foreign direct investment in most sectors of civil aviation.

India's regional aircraft market is also growing rapidly, with the demand for such aircraft projected at 300-400 over the next two decades. Currently the market is serviced by planes made by the Franco-Italian company ATR, Canada's Bombardier and Brazil's Embraer.

UAC has signed an agreement with Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd, India's state run defense aerospace company, for possible licensed production of the SJ-100 at their facilities. New Delhi has been seeking to establish its own regional jet airliner program for some time, which resulted in the partnership with UAC.

Badekha had said earlier that the manufacture of 20-40 Superjets per year in India would be a "good pace." He has estimated the potential of Indian and nearby markets at 200-300 aircraft.

The head of UAC also said that production of the Il-114-300 should be localized in India. The aircraft maker has signed a preliminary agreement for the supply of six of the turboprop planes with the Indian company Flamingo Aerospace.

India has insisted that foreign OEMs making regional planes set up assembly lines in the country and give component orders to local manufacturers.

(RT.com)