India is advancing efforts to develop an indigenous civil passenger aircraft, with Dassault Systèmes’ India MD, Deepak NG, asserting the country’s capability to achieve this milestone. While Indian airlines currently rely on foreign manufacturers like De Havilland Canada and ATR for regional aircraft, the proposed Regional Transport Aircraft (RTA) project aims to create a domestic alternative.

Government Push And Stakeholder Involvement

The Indian government is actively promoting the initiative, seeking collaboration between public and private entities. National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL), under the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), is expected to lead the design and development of a 90-seater regional passenger aircraft. Dassault Systèmes, a key partner in this endeavour, provides advanced 3D-aided design and simulation solutions that are critical for cost-effective research and development.

Role of Dassault Systèmes

Dassault Systèmes has been supporting NAL and Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) in projects like the SARAS MK-II, a 19-seater plane under development. Their virtual twin technology enables organizations to simulate aircraft designs digitally, reducing costs associated with physical prototypes while ensuring sustainability through lower carbon footprints. Deepak NG highlighted that such tools are pivotal for designing optimal aircraft that meet market demands efficiently.

Cost And Market Expansion

The estimated cost for designing and developing the 90-seater aircraft, including operational prototypes, stands at $2 billion. This investment aligns with India’s growing need for regional connectivity as its aviation market expands rapidly. Boeing forecasts that India’s air-plane fleet will quadruple by 2043, underscoring the demand for locally manufactured aircraft.

Challenges And Opportunities

While India has made strides in aerospace technology, transitioning from component manufacturing to building entire commercial aircraft remains complex. Industry experts suggest focusing on expanding India’s share in the global supply chain before attempting full-scale production of indigenous planes. However, recent collaborations like the Tata-Airbus partnership for military transport aircraft signal progress toward establishing assembly lines for civilian aircraft in the future.

India’s ambition to develop indigenous passenger aircraft reflects its growing technological capabilities and strategic intent to reduce reliance on foreign OEMs while fostering sustainable innovation in aerospace manufacturing.

Key Challenges

Developing an indigenous civil passenger aircraft in India faces several challenges, spanning technological, industrial, financial, and policy-related domains. These obstacles have slowed progress despite the country’s growing aviation market and government initiatives to promote self-reliance.

India lacks the depth of research and design expertise required for advanced aircraft development. Previous projects like the SARAS faced technical issues, including excessive weight and design flaws, leading to setbacks such as crashes during testing.

Developing critical systems such as engines, avionics, and materials requires significant investment in R&D, which India has struggled to achieve.

India’s aerospace manufacturing ecosystem is still nascent. The private sector is only beginning to enter aircraft production, as seen with the Tata Aircraft Complex assembling foreign-designed C-295 planes.

Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), the primary state-run manufacturer, has been criticized for delays and quality issues in delivering aircraft. Scaling up production capacity for passenger planes remains a challenge.

The absence of a robust domestic supply chain for aeronautical components hampers indigenisation efforts. Thousands of critical components are still imported, creating dependency on foreign suppliers.

Developing a 90-seater aircraft is estimated to cost $2 billion. Funding such large-scale projects often faces delays due to budget constraints or lack of private sector participation.

High debt burdens in the aviation sector further limit resources available for indigenous initiatives.

Bureaucratic inefficiencies and fragmented decision-making have historically delayed projects like the National Civil Aircraft Design (NCAD) program. A lack of coordinated effort among agencies has hindered progress.

Regulatory hurdles in maintenance and certification standards also impede growth in related sectors like Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO).

Competing with established global Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) poses a significant challenge. Indian airlines continue to prefer foreign aircraft due to reliability and performance advantages.

Limited infrastructure at regional airports further restricts the deployment of domestically developed aircraft designed for smaller airfields.

While India possesses significant potential in aerospace development, overcoming these challenges requires focused investment in R&D, enhanced manufacturing capabilities, streamlined policies, and stronger collaboration between public and private stakeholders. Successful models from sectors like space exploration could provide guidance for advancing indigenous civil aviation projects.

ET Manufacturing Report