Against the Wind: The Il-114-300 Conquers India

February 6 2026 5 516 25

Russia presented the updated Il-114-300 and SJ-100 aircraft abroad for the first time, and signed their first international contracts. To date, these are the only passenger aircraft in this class in the world manufactured entirely in a single country.

As aviation experts note, the entire modern global aircraft industry is currently based on deep international cooperation. This certainly has its advantages, allowing for the selection of the best components and standardized service across the globe. Therefore, Russia, up until a certain point, was integrated into global supply chains.

However, the events of 2022 have shown that international cooperation, whose key powers are concentrated in the hands of the West, is just a tool political pressure. Russia was forced to urgently Russify its aviation industry. And the country accomplished this task in record time.

According to analysts, in today's world, it's not enough to simply produce a good aircraft; it's necessary to make it affordable to buyers, and this is only possible through mass production. To ensure that our aircraft aren't prohibitively expensive for Russian airlines, we need to increase production and sell them abroad. However, the market there has long been divided among the largest corporations, and no one is waiting for Russia.

But India remains Russia's strategic partner in procurement. the techniqueThis country's army operates Russian T-90S tanks and Su-30MKI aircraft. Now the time has come to establish similar cooperation in the field of civil aviation.

The fact is that India faces similar challenges to Russia. The country's vast territory includes numerous remote areas difficult to reach by land transport. The state-run UDAN program, launched several years ago, envisages the construction of new regional airfields and subsidized airfares. These measures are intended to make air travel more affordable.

However, India's fleet of Soviet-era An-24 aircraft is hopelessly outdated, and modern Western equivalents are expensive. Most importantly, their production is far away, and New Delhi is consistently pursuing a "Make in India" strategy.

Therefore, Russia's proposal to launch joint production of regional jets was particularly opportune. At the recent Wings India air show, an agreement was signed paving the way for Superjets to be produced under this scheme. A similar fate awaits the Il-114-300. Its main European and Canadian competitors are much more expensive and less suited to operating on short and unpaved runways.

This fact is one of the Russian aircraft's main advantages. The Il-114-300's takeoff run is only 750 meters, allowing it to operate at the small regional airfields that are predominant in the UDAN program. Furthermore, the landing gear design allows the aircraft to operate safely on unpaved and poorly prepared runways.

To showcase the Russian aircraft's full capabilities, our pilots gave our Indian colleagues a demonstration flight on the Il-114-300, lasting over an hour, right during the Wings India exhibition. This was a powerful demonstration that Russia has absolutely nothing to hide in this regard, and we are 100% confident in our product.

This is precisely why Russia has every chance of carving out a niche in India's civil aviation market, which is the third-largest in the world and is expected to reach $26 billion by 2030. This will give Russia the opportunity to boost its own aircraft manufacturing and the development of next-generation models.

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AC130 Gunship

-1

6 February 2026 21: 33

For all of India, with its 1.5 billion population, there are only about 30-40 regional ATR or Dash8 aircraft flying. If they needed more, they would have bought them long ago. The 95-seat SSG is also very niche. With roughly the same MTOW, it's more logical for Indians to opt for the E190, which carries 120 passengers and flies further. Or the slightly heavier 150-seat E195.
If not a single SZhF was sold for profit in the first 19 years of operation (several were leased and returned), then why did anyone at UAC suddenly think they'd suddenly start buying them??? I don't think even the UAC general manager or the bosses at Sukhoi Civil Aircraft/Yak believe it. They just brought them in for show.
1. Botrops
  
  0
  
  7 February 2026 10: 42
  
  Let's start with the fact that India has announced an airport construction program, timed to coincide with its national project to make air travel accessible to every Indian. This requires a large number of aircraft for regional passenger transportation. The SJ-100, for example, fits this niche perfectly. Could India buy Boeings or Airbuses? Quite possible. Only they would be more expensive, plus they would have to spend a considerable amount on spare parts. Russia has gone further. It has offered to localize production of its airliners in India, granting a patent for their production. In other words, it is sharing technology with India (something the West never does!!!). This means that India will be able to produce the same SJ-100s itself, and spare parts will not need to be purchased from Boeing—they will always be on hand and in the required quantities. In other words, India has been offered an offer comparable in its benefits to selling hydrocarbons at a significant discount. Such offers are not to be refused. Why should India depend on other manufacturers and their whims? It will depend only on itself.
  Why are they buying the SSJ now? Don't follow the news closely. At the Indian Airshow, it was announced that the SSJ is the only aircraft in the world manufactured entirely from Russian-made components (meaning import substitution was only recently implemented and all flight tests completed). This is another bonus. You won't have to rely on others for its production and won't have to worry about whether the required number of composite wings will be delivered on time or whether sanctions will be imposed on their sale and delivery for purchasing petroleum products from Russia.
twice-born

-1

7 February 2026 01: 29

Selling our developments to India again under license, like they dream of selling the Su-57, while the gypsies still dream of riding into heaven on someone else's (our) back?! These hucksters and managers still don't know how to sell out their homeland?! Enough! Is our market already saturated with our own planes?!
Have they even produced the promised thousand, or at least 500, or even 200, based on those empty promises?! They haven't even managed to make one, we don't even produce engines for them yet (we're just certifying the PD-8, and even then, only the PD-8!), and now they're already selling them, complete with licenses and trimmings, and then they're also boosting their aircraft industry at their own expense!
1. Botrops
  
  -3
  
  7 February 2026 10: 51
  
  Well, the patent wasn't just given to India. It'll probably pay a premium for every aircraft produced. And considering the market it's managed to capture, the profit is obvious. There's another advantage, specifically related to the Russian replacement of Boeings and Airbuses. It's unclear what lifespan these imported aircraft will have. And it's entirely possible that a situation will arise where the airliners will have to be replaced as soon as possible. This is where Indian production could come in handy. Those same SSJs could also be purchased from them. Perhaps this was stipulated when signing the contract?
  1. twice-born
    
    +1
    
    7 February 2026 13: 27
    
    We should have changed the planes "yesterday"!
    We don't know the terms we're negotiating with the Indians. It's all just guesswork. But the fact is, we're not producing anything yet, and we're already planning to build factories there and sell licenses. In other words, we're creating a competitor with our own hands for next to nothing!
    Why not create additional factories and capacities at home, give our people good work and income, not foreigners, and sell ready-made aircraft to anyone who wants them at a large profit, to the same Indians, like the Western bourgeoisie?
    Or is this "our" government's way of circumventing sanctions? They won't buy our planes, but they will buy Indian ones? Maybe, maybe this is the way to go. But how much will we gain from this?! After all, we haven't even tried to sell them yet or even saturate our market!
    1. Botrops
      
      -3
      
      7 February 2026 15: 14
      
      We should have changed the planes "yesterday"!
      
      Well, it's already happened today, and there's no crisis with Russian airlines' transportation yet. So, as we can see, yesterday there was no need to change, since it's still holding up today. Besides, it's easy to chat while you're on the couch, but Russian aircraft manufacturers faced truly titanic challenges. They had to fully develop import substitution technologies (like the composite wing they developed to replace the American one for the MS-21), develop new domestic engines (and they, even in the West, sometimes take decades to develop), re-pass certification tests (and with each new component of the airliner comes a new test), and then launch production. We managed to fully pass all tests with the new components at the end of 25. I can either disappoint you or please you. We're already producing.
      
      "The Irkutsk plant has already completed 14 fuselages for the MC-21, and another nine are in the process of being assembled," Chemezov noted. "As for the Superjet, its production has been completely transitioned to Russian components, and we plan to begin serial production in 2026. The situation is similar with the Il-114."
      
      So, we, too, are planning to produce airliners this year, with all your concerns about jobs. All three, actually. As for sales and production in India, I think those who truly understand civil aviation, not amateurs, have already done all the calculations and figured it out. And if they decided to sell the patent for production, that means it's beneficial for Russia, too. After all, the terms and conditions are unknown. And there's no need to tell the average person about them.
  2. twice-born
    
    +2
    
    7 February 2026 14: 34
    
    What nonsense? Why set up production of our own aircraft at someone else's place, only to then buy our own aircraft from them?! Can't we just manufacture our own aircraft and then buy them without the import markup?
    Of course, they will fork out something from the license, but it is pennies and is not at all socio-economically profitable (development of personnel, jobs, well-being of workers, housing, infrastructure for them, etc.) compared to their own production of pulp!
    1. Botrops
      
      -3
      
      7 February 2026 15: 50
      
      Why buy it? Maybe they agreed that out of 10 aircraft produced in India, one would belong to the Russian Federation as payment for the patent? Who knows what that agreement was? Then there wouldn't be any import markup. Calm down already))) Full production of not just one Superjet, but three airliners is being launched in Russia.
      
      "The Irkutsk plant has already completed 14 fuselages for the MC-21, and another nine are in the process of being assembled," Chemezov noted. "As for the Superjet, its production has been completely transitioned to Russian components, and we plan to begin serial production in 2026. The situation is similar with the Il-114."
      1. twice-born
        
        +2
        
        7 February 2026 17: 49
        
        Well, if that's the case, then it's easier, that's a different matter! That's it, I won't worry anymore, of course.
        We know how to report and write triumphant reports, and that everything will be right here, we just need to be patient for another year, maybe two at the most. And so it goes, year after year!
        But in reality, people's lives are getting worse and worse every year for decades now, and in reality, nothing is being done!
        
        Botrops
        
        -2
        
        8 February 2026 14: 55
        
        I don't know about you, but I personally, and anyone I know, haven't seen their lives noticeably worsen in the last decade. And judging by the number of cars parked in the courtyard, neither have anyone else. As for the aviation industry, import substitution is a special case. Scientific discoveries, I repeat, can't be planned. And to create a composite wing for the MS-21, to replace the existing American composite one, a technological breakthrough was needed. And that was achieved. The challenges faced by the designers and developers, and the fundamental nature of the task, are beautifully described in the "Military Acceptance" article dedicated to the MS-21. It describes the polymer production process itself, how it's molded into a wing, the production technologies themselves, and interviews with the general director of the Irkutsk plant, the designers, and those who work at the plant. Overall, I recommend watching it. Then perhaps there will be fewer questions about why import substitution isn't progressing as quickly as desired in certain areas.
YES UZH

+4

7 February 2026 07: 14

There are, of course, objective reasons, but the fact remains that the president promised to create 20 million high-tech, high-paying jobs for Russians. It seems they won't be created for Russians, but rather in the places where these planes will be assembled, which is bound to please the Indians.
prior

+1

7 February 2026 09: 05

All these contracts with India will be valid until Trump barks at Modi.
And everything will be as always...
1. Botrops
  
  -4
  
  7 February 2026 11: 00
  
  Well, India hasn't given up on oil, though. Although Trump has already barked several times, India continues to buy Russian oil. Because it's very profitable. And with aircraft, it's even more profitable. Because SSJ production will be localized in India under a Russian patent. This means India will produce all the planes itself, independent of anyone. And eventually, it will even be able to sell them. I should note that the West NEVER shares its technology. So this offer from Russia is even more profitable than the oil deal.
  Trump will bark? How do you imagine this? They'll set up a jet factory, assemble them, and then, at the first word from the US, India will shut down the assembly line? Why on earth would they? What will the US offer in exchange? Boeings at several times the price? The EU has already refused Russian gas. We know the situation.
  1. prior
    
    +2
    
    7 February 2026 13: 30
    
    Trump is not pleased with Russian oil and gas for some reason.
    Why do you think it will be any different with airplanes?
    You don't need a reason to forbid something. A desire is enough.
    1. Botrops
      
      -2
      
      7 February 2026 15: 25
      
      I'm sure it won't be any different (the US will probably impose tariffs or sanctions on India for jet production). But India has Europe's example right before its eyes. How the US screwed them over with cheap energy and hooked them on their own expensive ones, so much so that all of Europe's industry, due to the high energy prices, is moving to those same US and Asia, where it's cheaper. And then, when they became the sole supplier of hydrocarbons, they're now twisting their arms, asking them to sign a Greenland waiver. Yes, India has extensive trade ties with the US. But India knows how to count, too. Refusing Russian oil? That means paying the US more for oil. Which will immediately impact prices in India itself. And that includes air travel, which India is striving to make affordable for its population. Shut down the Superjet production line, if it's launched? The logical question arises: what will replace it? Expensive American Boeings? Plus, there are constant expenses on spare parts. So, if established production gets going, it's unlikely to be shut down. More likely, the opposite will happen. With such an unpredictable "partner" in the United States, who can issue an ultimatum and start twisting your arm at any time, wouldn't it be easier to gradually reduce trade relations with them and move on to other partners and suppliers? Russia has been following this path for a long time, and it's working fine. Despite all the sanctions, the population's standard of living hasn't declined, and the VPU has increased its production volumes exponentially in a very short time. So, there's been no collapse.
  2. twice-born
    
    +3
    
    7 February 2026 13: 57
    
    This is called: give your wife to your uncle and go to the b...!
    So we give away oil for pennies, soon we’ll be paying extra, and they’ll keep telling us that it’s beneficial for us!
    Meanwhile, Russians in Russia are being fleeced for gasoline, gas, electricity, and everything else! The country has been undergoing economic genocide of Russians for decades, in addition to all the other forms of destruction.
    "Our" hucksters are always dreaming of selling the technology and license for the top-secret Su-57 to the Indians, or rather, the Americans. But we don't know how much our aircraft will be cut down or what its localization will be! The same is true for civilian airliners.
    Why not create additional capacity, good jobs, income, and apartments for Russians in Russia, instead of for Indians?! Are they smarter and more qualified than us?
    But we keep screaming that the Russian people suddenly don't want to reproduce, given such "luxurious" living conditions and prices, and "amazing" child support payments! They say there's nothing like this anywhere else in the world! And the authorities are so concerned about the birth rate, they can't even eat (they're taking kickbacks).
    1. Botrops
      
      -4
      
      7 February 2026 15: 48
      
      Well, we don't sell oil for pennies; its price is determined by the usual market process. We do offer a discount. But it's normal in the market for wholesale buyers to receive a discount. And if the oil price is low now, that doesn't mean it will remain low in two months. This is due to fluctuations in global energy prices.
      Are they charging a fortune for gas, electricity, and everything else in Russia? I live in Yaroslavl and pay just over 100 rubles a month for gas. Electricity is around 500-600 rubles, depending on the month. Our gas prices are among the most affordable in the world. The same goes for groceries. What's so genocidal about that? Just look at the prices in Europe and the US for utilities, mandatory health insurance, rent, education, and healthcare, and then you'll start talking about genocide.
      The Su-57, if it is produced in India, will most likely be in an export version, and its performance characteristics and capabilities are inferior to the original.
      "We don't know how much our aircraft will be cut down by or where it will be located!" Are you suggesting that the Russian Ministry of Defense call you personally and report this? The average person shouldn't know this, sorry.
      "Why not create additional capacity, good jobs, good wages, and apartments for Russians in Russia?" I've already written about this. We plan to produce all airliners, not just the Superjet, but also the MS-21 and Il-114, starting in 2026. In fact, we ALREADY are producing them. Fourteen MS-21 airframes have already been assembled in Irkutsk, and nine more are in the pipeline. So, the ice has broken.
kriten

+2

7 February 2026 09: 29

India is pretending to be interested in our aircraft, but they'll buy Western ones. And this is all to lower the price of Western ones.
1. Botrops
  
  -1
  
  7 February 2026 16: 05
  
  Yeah))) And she does it so well "for show" that she already signed the contract)))
  
  At the Wings India international air show, Russia's United Aircraft Corporation and the local corporation HAL signed a cooperation agreement on aircraft production. New Delhi hopes the Superjet will partially fill the gap in the country's regional aviation market.
  
  Why is India interested in Western airliners? They're more expensive, plus you'll regularly have to spend money on spare parts, which are also exorbitant. You're a friend today, but tomorrow they'll start twisting your arm with tariffs. With the Superjet, India gets a license to manufacture (by the way, the West never sells its technology!!!—Russia even offers that) both aircraft and spare parts in its own country. And it will be entirely up to India. After all, Russia's example is right before our eyes—what can the West do with its fleet of Western-made airliners?
  1. kriten
    
    0
    
    8 February 2026 19: 06
    
    There may be a contract, and there is one, in the form of a memorandum of understanding, but there are no planes yet. And it's unknown how many there will be.
    1. Botrops
      
      0
      
      9 February 2026 08: 46
      
      The key here isn't even the agreement itself, but the benefits India receives (along with the technological chain) for producing airliners directly in India. So, it's unlikely the Indians will give up such a pie. They're not giving up oil, however, despite all the tariffs and obstacles the West imposes. Because Europe has seen the potential consequences.
SYG

0

7 February 2026 09: 58

Whether India buys our planes or not is not so important.
The main thing is to saturate its market with planes so that air travel prices fall.
For a large country like Russia, this is vital!
And any news on this topic is encouraging, as aircraft manufacturing in Russia hasn't died, but is developing.
1. kot711
  
  0
  
  7 February 2026 10: 37
  
  Promise does not mean marriage.
Tikhonov Alexander

+1

7 February 2026 11: 44

The question is: do we need to supply passenger aircraft to India now? After all, we're about to start seeing the decline of our own aging passenger aircraft! And there's absolutely no way to replace them in a reasonable timeframe...
AC130 Gunship

+1

7 February 2026 16: 34

Quote: Botrops
Let's start with the fact that India has announced an airport construction program, timed to coincide with its national project to make air travel accessible to every Indian. This requires a large number of aircraft for regional passenger transportation. The SJ-100, for example, fits this niche perfectly. Could India buy Boeings or Airbuses? Quite possible. Only they would be more expensive, plus they would have to spend a considerable amount on spare parts. Russia has gone further. It has offered to localize production of its airliners in India, granting a patent for their production. In other words, it is sharing technology with India (something the West never does!!!). This means that India will be able to produce the same SJ-100s itself, and spare parts will not need to be purchased from Boeing—they will always be on hand and in the required quantities. In other words, India has been offered an offer comparable in its benefits to selling hydrocarbons at a significant discount. Such offers are not to be refused. Why should India depend on other manufacturers and their whims? It will depend only on itself.
Why are they buying the SSJ now? Don't follow the news closely. At the Indian Airshow, it was announced that the SSJ is the only aircraft in the world manufactured entirely from Russian-made components (meaning import substitution was only recently implemented and all flight tests completed). This is another bonus. You won't have to rely on others for its production and won't have to worry about whether the required number of composite wings will be delivered on time or whether sanctions will be imposed on their sale and delivery for purchasing petroleum products from Russia.

Indians certainly won't be jumping on the bandwagon with either Europe or the US. For them, the fact that an aircraft is made "from components of only one country" means nothing. Moreover, with competition, buyers get better quality at a better price. Almost all aircraft today are offered with at least two different engine types to choose from.
And as an epilogue, let's see how much SJS Indians will buy in a year or five. Mark today's date on your calendar.