Russia is pushing to expand its presence in India’s civil aviation sector, with proposed agreements covering up to 105 regional passenger aircraft. The deals are expected to move forward during the Innoprom India exhibition in New Delhi, held ahead of the BRICS summit.

United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) has identified its IL-114-300 regional passenger aircraft as a major part of the proposed cooperation. UAC CEO Vadim Badekha said negotiations with Indian partners have made significant progress over the past six months and that several agreements are expected to be formalised during the exhibition.

The proposed deals include 50 IL-114-300 aircraft for Pinnacle Air and up to 20 aircraft for Air Kerala. Another 35 aircraft are linked to a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Sleek Aviation. If finalised, the agreements would significantly expand the presence of Russian aircraft in India’s regional aviation market.

The latest developments follow a preliminary agreement between UAC and Indian company Flamingo Aerospace. The two sides signed the agreement in January during the Wings India aviation exhibition in Hyderabad for a potential supply of six IL-114-300 aircraft.

Russia is also seeking a larger role in aircraft manufacturing in India. UAC said discussions on local production of its SJ-100 regional jet are around 80 per cent complete, with an agreement expected to be signed soon.

Earlier this year, UAC and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) signed an agreement for the joint licensed production of the SJ-100 in India. The proposed project could expand cooperation between the two countries in aircraft manufacturing and localisation.

The growing aviation engagement comes as Russia seeks to broaden its industrial partnership with India beyond traditional defence cooperation. Civil aviation, regional connectivity and aircraft manufacturing are emerging as new areas of cooperation.

Innoprom India is being held in New Delhi from September 9 to 11 ahead of the BRICS summit. More than 120 Russian and Indian companies are participating in the exhibition, creating a platform for businesses from both countries to pursue new industrial partnerships.

The proposed IL-114-300 deals involve multiple Indian aviation companies, while the SJ-100 project focuses on local manufacturing. The developments mark a wider push by Russia to strengthen its role in India’s civil aviation sector.