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Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) is shifting its focus toward the civil aviation sector with the development of a diverse portfolio of passenger aircraft and helicopters. Speaking to ANI on the sidelines of Wings India 2026, HAL Chairman DK Sunil stated that the company aims to establish a larger civil component in its manufacturing lineup to enhance national self-reliance.
"We build our military aircraft, so why not build civil aircraft also? That is the vision with which we are going. Since we are a government-owned company, the vision is that we should become Atmanirbhar in Civil aircraft also," he added. "We are already a manufacturer of helicopters, transport aircraft, fighters... We should have a larger civil component in our portfolio," DK Sunil said. He noted that the company is leveraging its experience in defense to meet commercial needs. The aerospace major is currently working on the Dhruv NG, a civil variant of the Advanced Light Helicopter, and the Hindustan 228, which is an 18-seater aircraft. Additionally, the company has introduced the SJ-100, a regional jet designed to seat 103 passengers. According to the Chairman, the final assembly of these aircraft will take place in Nashik, while the Kanpur facility will produce necessary parts. The manufacturing process will also integrate a broad network of private vendors from Nashik, Bangalore, and Hyderabad. "It's going to be a combination of existing facilities we are going to leverage, as well as work with our private partners to see that we can keep the cost of investments low so that it will translate into a lower ticket price for the aircraft," Sunil explained. This push for domestic manufacturing aligns with broader national goals for aviation expansion. Earlier, while delivering a virtual address at the Wings India 2026 aviation summit on Wednesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that India is on track to establish a network of over 400 airports by the year 2047. "In India, air travel is no longer exclusive; it's becoming inclusive. Our mission is to make air travel easily accessible to every Indian citizen. That's why we have connected Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities with airports. In 2014, India had 70 airports. Today, the number of airports in India has increased to more than 160. We have activated more than 100 aerodromes in the country and, along with this, launched affordable flight schemes for our citizens... It is estimated that by 2047, India will have more than 400 airports. This will be a very large network. Not only that, our government is also working on the next phase of the UDAN scheme. This policy will further strengthen regional and affordable air connectivity," said PM Modi. (ANI)
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