United Aircraft says SJ-100 licensing deal with HAL is over 80% agreed

Russia’s United Aircraft says negotiations with Hindustan Aeronautics (HAL) over a licensing arrangement for locally produced Yakovlev SJ-100 regional jets in India are close to completion, with the majority of contractual terms already settled.

Vadim Badekha, who leads the Russian airframer, told attendees at the Innoprom 2026 exhibition in Delhi that more than four-fifths of the proposed licensing pact with the Indian state-owned manufacturer had been agreed. “We plan to sign it soon,” he said.

HAL, one of India’s largest aerospace and defence manufacturers, saw its shares close at HAL $36.80, down 0.35% from the previous close of $36.93, valuing the company at roughly $30.7 billion.

Badekha also indicated that United Aircraft expects to finalise an agreement with what he described as “the first Indian operator” during the Aero India 2027 show, scheduled for Bengaluru in February. He did not specify which aircraft type that contract would cover, though the SJ-100 is the most likely candidate given the context. The airframer is also marketing the Ilyushin Il-114-300 turboprop and the Yakovlev MC-21 narrowbody to Indian customers.

All three models are being showcased at Innoprom as United Aircraft seeks to extend the preliminary groundwork laid at the Wings India exhibition in January, where it secured a provisional arrangement to supply Il-114-300s to Flamingo Aerospace. Badekha said that “over the past six months, we have made significant progress in negotiations and reached a number of agreements on the Il-114-300, which we will sign at Innoprom.”

The company is positioning itself as offering Indian partners “not just individual products, but comprehensive industrial co-operation,” encompassing technology partnerships and localised assembly rather than straightforward aircraft sales.

Localised production of the SJ-100 in India would represent a notable step in the country’s efforts to expand its domestic regional-aircraft manufacturing base through international partnerships.

Source: original release

What to watch

• Formal signing of the SJ-100 licensing agreement between United Aircraft and HAL
• Il-114-300 agreements to be concluded at Innoprom 2026
• Operator contract expected at Aero India 2027 in Bengaluru this February
• HAL’s next quarterly earnings and any disclosures on the licensing programme