Sakthi Aircraft Industry, a collaboration between Tamil Nadu-based Sakthi Group and Austria’s Diamond Aircraft, will manufacture 150 DA40 NG trainer planes in India, supporting the country’s push for indigenous production. In aggregate, the joint venture will supply 200 trainer aircraft to various Flying Training Organisations (FTOs) across India.

On Tuesday, a memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed between the Aero Club of India and Sakthi Aircraft Industry at an event in the national capital. Sakthi Aircraft’s MD and CEO, Vaibhav D, stated that the agreement includes 200 DA40 NG trainer planes, with 150 of them to be assembled at a planned facility that happened to be in Haryana. 

The Aero Club of India will be the central hub, gathering requests, managing aircraft distribution, and ensuring smooth handovers to flight training organisations. The next-generation Diamond DA40 NG is the aircraft in question, a single-engine aircraft that seats four people. The first batch of aircraft is expected to be delivered by May 2025, with an annual production target of 100 planes.

As per an official statement, the order for 200 trainer aircraft is among the largest of its kind. This collaboration aims to train 1,000 pilots each year, reaching a total of 10,000 pilots over the next decade. Speaking at the event, Civil Aviation Minister K. Rammohan Naidu called the signing of the MoU a prominent step toward making India a global hub for Flight Training Organisations (FTOs).

Rajiv Pratap Rudy, President of the Aero Club of India, stated that collaboration with the Sakthi aircraft industry is a decisive step toward heightening India's aviation sector.

"By ensuring a reliable supply of Diamond DA40 NG aircraft, we are addressing the growing demand for skilled pilots and strengthening our flight training infrastructure," he expressed.

Rudy, himself a pilot, is advocating for changes to current regulations that would enable retired pilots to continue flying as instructors at flight training organisations despite reaching the mandatory retirement age of 65 for commercial pilots.