India’s aviation ecosystem stands at a defining moment. The transformation of air travel from a primarily metro-focused activity to a comprehensive national network has created unprecedented demand for regional connectivity that links smaller cities, emerging economic clusters and remote hinterlands with mainstream economic activity. Today, India is the world’s third-largest domestic aviation market, and under the UDAN regional connectivity scheme, nearly 650 regional routes have been operationalised, linking scores of underserved airports and bringing air travel within reach of millions of Indians. This evolution fundamentally reshapes how the aviation market must think about aircraft, supply chains and industrial capability.
Anyone who has spent time around regional airports in India will recognise this shift instantly. Aircraft land, refuel, board and depart again in tight cycles, often within minutes, leaving little room for error. This is the operational reality of regional aviation in India today.
India’s regional routes are characterised by unique operating dynamics. They involve frequent short sectors, rapid turnarounds, constrained ramp space, high temperatures, varied terrain and infrastructure that demands robust, efficient aircraft that can deliver compelling economics for airlines. Such operational realities are not theoretical, they sit at the heart of the airline operating models that are driving sustained demand across hundreds of regional sectors, supported by government connectivity initiatives. These routes will continue to scale as the aviation ecosystem expands, presenting a clear, sustained, addressable market for aircraft designed for these missions.
Why Indigenous Aircraft Are a Strategic Necessity
India’s long-term aviation strategy must place indigenous aircraft manufacturing at its core.This priority flows directly from the success of the national Make in India initiative, which has already catalysed localisation and export capability in aerospace components and systems. Domestic industry has moved from being a supplier of parts to playing a role in sophisticated aerospace programmes. Major Indian corporations are now partnering with global OEMs to establish final assembly lines, aircraft systems manufacturing and deep-tier production capacity. These developments demonstrate that world-class aerospace manufacturing capability can be anchored in India, not just imported.
The government’s push towards aircraft manufacture under the Make in India and Atmanirbhar Bharat frameworks reflects this understanding. A government-led Special Purpose Vehicle is being established to bring together public sector aerospace institutions, industry partners and technology stakeholders to design, certify and build regional transport aircraft domestically. This initiative is built around leveraging indigenous strengths in materials, avionics, systems integration and aerostructures and is directly aligned with the broader vision of developing India into a global aviation manufacturing hub.
From Programmes to Ecosystems
Concrete projects are already underway that validate this trajectory. India’s National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL) and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) are collaborating on the Regional Transport Aircraft (RTA) programme, aiming to produce a 70–90 passenger regional airliner designed for the specific performance, cost and operational requirements of India’s network. Complementing this, the Saras Mk2 light transport aircraft project incorporates advanced composite wings, lightweight structures and modern avionics, demonstrating the advancement of indigenous aerospace technology towards operational aircraft platforms.
The significance of these efforts goes beyond aircraft assembly lines. Developing regional aircraft within India creates a high-skill industrial ecosystem that ripples through engineering, systems design, software, certification, production planning and maintenance. These are high-value activities that deepen technological capability and create thousands of sustainable jobs. A domestic aircraft programme also anchors a complete support ecosystem, including spares, technical data and maintenance infrastructure that can respond rapidly to airline needs.
This ecosystem is becoming increasingly critical as India scales its aviation operations. Our Civil Aviation Minister K. Rammohan Naidu recently mentioned that India’s aircraft MRO market is expected to reach USD 4 billion by 2031, reflecting strong demand from expanding domestic fleets and the growth of in-country service capacity. This level of operational control directly improves airline economics and reliability.
Designing the Future, Not Importing It
For Indian carriers, an indigenous regional aircraft brings advantages that foreign platforms cannot replicate without local design input. The ability to configure engine performance to suit short flight profiles, provide strength to the engine when operated frequently, and have a simplified maintenance structure (designed for on-time maintenance) will significantly enhance the economic viability of aircraft operations on critical routes. Indian airlines can be part of the design optimisation process, allowing for the design of the aircraft based on local conditions, rather than adapting aircraft designed in another country.
From the industry perspective, indigenous manufacturing is about establishing India as a global participant in aircraft production. India’s aerospace supply chain is increasingly integrated with global OEM programmes, with significant progress in components, assemblies and engineered systems. The leap from component production to full airframe design and production is substantial, but the foundation has been laid through decades of capability building in both public and private sectors.
As the aerospace ecosystem expands, the role of lifecycle support becomes equally critical. Growth of Aerospace and MRO facilities provides world-class service customers; For indigenous aircraft programmes, this ensures that platforms can be supported throughout their operational life, while also creating export readiness by offering global customers access to reliable service and support infrastructure within India.
The imperative for indigenous regional aircraft manufacturing is rooted in economic logic, strategic autonomy and industrial ambition. India’s aviation market is being redefined by new demands, new connectivity patterns and new expectations from operators and passengers alike. Meeting these demands with aircraft developed and produced in India will strengthen economic competitiveness, enhance national resilience and affirm India’s position as an aviation power with both market scale and technological capability.
The future of Indian regional aviation should not be defined by what we import but by what we design, build and offer to the world. Make in India is the pathway to that future, and indigenous regional aircraft manufacturing sits at its centre.
