Tuesday, 11 August 2026 · Full edition

HAL revives Su-30MKI fighter jet production in Nashik to deliver 12 aircraft by 2029

A Sukhoi Su-30MKI fighter jet of the Indian Air Force in flight.
A Sukhoi Su-30MKI fighter jet of the Indian Air Force in flight. · Bikash Das from bangalore, india / Wikimedia CommonsCC BY 2.0

What happened

Hindustan Aeronautics Limited has restarted production of Su-30MKI fighter jets at its Nashik facility, aiming to deliver 12 new aircraft by 2029. The new jets will feature over 50% indigenous content, alongside a fleet-wide upgrade incorporating Indian-developed radar and electronic warfare systems.

Why it matters

Exceeding 50% domestic content reduces reliance on foreign military suppliers for critical hardware. Integrating indigenous radar and electronic warfare systems helps protect defense supply chains against external disruptions and lowers long-term lifecycle maintenance risks.

Bigger picture

The restart aligns with India's strategic push to build a self-sustaining defense manufacturing base. Localizing production and key technology upgrades for frontline military platforms aims to foster deep domestic industrial capacity and engineering capabilities.

Watch next

Monitor the production rollout schedule for the 12 new jets and progress on integrating indigenous radar and electronic warfare upgrades across the existing fleet ahead of 2029.

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