The Indian state-owned aircraft manufacturing corporation Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) stated that the issue of producing Russian fifth-generation Su-57 fighter jets in India remains with the country's government. The company is ready to participate in the program if it receives the appropriate directive, IDRW reports.
This is not just about purchasing ready-made aircraft, but about organizing full-fledged licensed assembly of the Su-57E in India. The proposed site is the HAL plant in Nashik, where Russian Su-30MKI aircraft have been assembled for many years. Not only production localization but also technology transfer is being discussed: access to the source codes of onboard electronics, engine production with the possibility of single-crystal blade casting, stealth material technologies, and the integration of Indian weaponry.
According to experts, about half of HAL's capacity can be utilized for Su-57 production, but additional investments will be required. The first 36–40 ready-made aircraft could be delivered from Russia by 2027–2028, and the next 70–100 aircraft are planned to be assembled directly in India.
For India, this is an opportunity to gain access to fifth-generation fighter technologies, which the country has been trying to master for many years. The previous joint FGFA project based on the Su-57 was closed in 2018 precisely due to insufficient technology transfer. Now Russia, under sanctions pressure, is ready for much broader cooperation, IDRW notes.
In parallel, India is developing its own fifth-generation AMCA fighter, but it is still in the design stage, and its serial production will not begin until the next decade. The Su-57 could become a temporary but very significant reinforcement for the Indian Air Force.
So far, the Indian government has not publicly stated its position. HAL has only confirmed that discussions are taking place at a strategic level, and the final decision rests with the country's political leadership.
