New Delhi: As India eyes small aircraft manufacturing, India’s ambition to build its own regional aircraft is bold, but without clear data, realistic planning, and sustainable demand. Experts fear it could be more dream than deliverable.
Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu has had a busy few months. First, he promised a boom in regional airports. Then, he revised India’s projected pilot needs to 20,000, before later increasing the estimate to 30,000 in the coming years. Now, he’s upped the ante yet again, saying India wants to manufacture its own regional aircraft. This is a country that has long depended on foreign aircraft manufacturers.
Last month, Naidu announced that a special purpose vehicle (SPV) will be set up to make regional transport aircraft, a move that could place India on the global aerospace map.
Naidu said the government believes India was ready to take on design, manufacturing, and maintenance of aircraft, backed by policies already in place. The SPV, which will unfold over the next five years and bring together industry stakeholders, will conduct a situational analysis and develop a roadmap for production, all under the ‘Make in India’ umbrella.
According to the government, under the UDAN scheme, over 500 regional routes have been awarded to enhance air connectivity across India, though many of these routes are yet to be fully serviced. The government also has plans to expand airport infrastructure, adding more than 100 new airports by 2030, many of which are being developed in underserved and remote regions to support regional aviation growth.
But can India really manufacture aircraft? Experts believe that India should not jump in without solid data, clear demand forecasts, and real industry buy-in.
“The ministry has to conduct a thorough analysis: How many aircraft are required? What kind? What’s the lead time for manufacturing? And who will manufacture — private players, HAL, or a consortium? There’s also the question of maintenance, spares, and long-term support,” said Jitender Bhargava, former executive director of Air India.
While the ambition is clear, industry veterans are quick to point out that India needs more than just policy muscle. It needs data, market research, and most importantly, sustainable demand. When ministries began developing airports across the country, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had noted that the number of operational airports jumped from 74 to 150. That growth clearly aligns with the National Civil Aviation Policy, focusing on cities that were previously underserved or entirely unserved. Naturally, once the airports are built, the next step is airlines, aircraft, and market connectivity. “Sometimes airlines and aircraft come bundled, but the real question is — how do you make it all work?” Bhargava said.
Bhargava pointed out that airport infrastructure alone isn’t enough — India also needs realistic demand mapping. “Take Uttar Pradesh as an example. It now has 19 airports. But how many flights can realistically operate across those—Kanpur, Lucknow, Allahabad, Ayodhya, and others? That’s where demand analysis and market research come into play. And then there’s the aircraft question,” he said.
“The 90-seater model will mostly be passenger-focused, sure, but it really depends on the route you want to deploy it for. And here’s the crux: you can’t manufacture an aircraft unless you have the ecosystem to support the supply chain behind it,” Mark Martin, founder and CEO of Martin Consultancy said.
Bhargava believes the moment has come to rethink everything—from aircraft type to market fit. “Let’s not forget—HAL was manufacturing Dornier aircraft 20–25 years ago. Sure, that was a different era, a different India. Maybe the aircraft weren’t world-class, maybe the production was slow—but that’s not the point. Today, we can reimagine what we want to build and how many aircraft we need. But that requires solid data,” he said.
