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On 28th October 2025, Altitude Addicts
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reported that Russia's United Aircraft
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Corporation UAC and India's Hindustan
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Aeronautics Limited, HAL, signed a
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memorandum of understanding or MOU to
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collaboratively produce the
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Russian-designed Sukoy Superjet, SJ00
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civilian aircraft within India.
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This agreement signifies an important
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phase in Indian civil aviation
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representing the first comprehensive
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production of a passenger aircraft in
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India since HAL's AVOHS748
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project which ended in 1988.
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Under the memorandum of understanding,
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HAL will retain the manufacturing rights
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for the SJ00 aircraft designated for
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domestic airline clients with the
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objective of improving regional
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connectivity as part of
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The strategic imperatives underpinning
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this initiative are both industrial and
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geopolitical in nature. India aims not
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only to acquire aircraft capable of
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satisfying the anticipated demand for
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more than 200 regional jets over the
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forthcoming decade but also to establish
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an industrial foundation for civil
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aviation manufacturing, a sector from
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which it has historically been absent.
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However, this initiative also aligns
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with a wider global strategic trend,
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namely the susceptibility of aviation
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supply chains to export restrictions and
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geopolitical influences, as demonstrated
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by China's recent regional jet
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This analysis examines whether Russia
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can genuinely serve as a counterbalance
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to United States dominance and
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contribute to the democratization of
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aircraft manufacturing or whether
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Moscow's restrictions on technology
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transfer and political influence will
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constrain the strategic independence
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The HAL Russia SJ00 initiative
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represents substantial progress for
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India's aviation industry. The SJ00 is a
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twin engine narrowbody regional aircraft
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engineered for short hall roads with a
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seating capacity of approximately 100
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More than 200 SSJ00 aircraft, the
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previous version with foreign components
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have been manufactured and are in
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operation with approximately 16
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commercial airlines worldwide.
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Under the new agreement, HAL, India's
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leading aerospace public sector
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enterprise will collaborate with UAC to
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assemble and manufacture these aircraft
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within India for domestic operators.
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Officials in New Delhi have
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characterized the agreement as both a
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transformative development for the UDAN
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regional connectivity initiative and an
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important stride toward establishing a
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self-sufficient civil aviation
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manufacturing ecosystem.
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In remarks concerning the signing of
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theou, representatives from HAL and
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Russia emphasized mutual trust and the
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prospects for extensive industrial
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This collaboration is set against the
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backdrop of India's enduring aspiration
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to establish indigenous expertise in
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aircraft manufacturing, a sector in
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which it has historically lagged for
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The SJ00 project is conceived not merely
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as a procurement initiative but as a
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comprehensive learning platform.
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Altitude Addicts learns that India aims
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to initially import a limited number of
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fully assembled aircraft, acquire
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operational and regulatory expertise,
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validate certification and maintenance
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protocols, and subsequently expand
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gradually toward domestic production and
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component manufacturing.
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This phased approach offers essential
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practical experience prior to
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establishing costly localized supply
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chains and undertaking extensive
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Such an approach directly addresses
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India's concerns regarding critical
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technological reliance on foreign
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particularly United States technology.
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The central question is whether Russia's
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aerospace ecosystem can provide a more
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stable partnership than Western
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manufacturers integrated into United
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States export control regimes.
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Altitude Addicts wants to point out to
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the importance of strategic autonomy in
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regional jet development is underscored
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by China's experience with its own
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regional jet program, the C909,
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previously known as the ARJ21.
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China's Commercial Aircraft Corporation
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has been manufacturing the C909
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as an indigenous regional aircraft with
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moderate success in recent years.
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Deliveries have established a domestic
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customer base and initial operations in
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Southeast Asia indicate early expansion
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beyond China's borders.
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However, the C909 program highlights
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vulnerabilities inherent in dependence
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on supply chains that include critical
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American components, particularly
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engines and avionics systems.
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United States export controls
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implemented amid heightened trade
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tensions have posed risks to the supply
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of technologies such as GE Aerospace,
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CG34 series engines and avionics from
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companies like Collins Aerospace and
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Even where restrictions have been
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temporarily adjusted, the fundamental
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lesson remains that reliance on United
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States technology exposes aircraft
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programs to geopolitical disruption.
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For a country like India, which seeks
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both aviation development and strategic
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autonomy, this experience demonstrates
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why simple assembly arrangements with
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western aligned manufacturers may be
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insufficient to achieve long-term
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sovereign industrial objectives.
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China's own efforts to mitigate these
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risks through accelerated domestic
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engine development illustrate how
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time-consuming and costly genuine
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autonomy can be. Alongside the Russian
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partnership, India has explored
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alternative avenues to expand regional
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jet capacity. In early January 2026,
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Adani Aerospace and Brazil's Embber
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reached a preliminary agreement to
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establish local assembly of Embber Ejet
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family aircraft in India, including
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models such as the E175.
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While this may satisfy short-term
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demand, it does not fundamentally
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resolve the issue of strategic reliance
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on United States regulated systems and
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certification frameworks.
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In contrast, the Russian SJ00,
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particularly in its PD8 engine
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configuration, offers a platform less
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entangled with United States export
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The shift to the fully Russian PD8
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engine removes a critical channel of
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geopolitical risk and enables greater
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freedom in life cycle support and system
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Nevertheless, the aircraft's mixed
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operational reputation and relative
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technological maturity raise valid
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questions for Indian Airlines regarding
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efficiency, maintenance economics, and
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long-term competitiveness.
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Altitude Addicts feels that Russia's
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role as a counterbalance to United
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States aerospace dominance is therefore
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While it offers fewer geopolitical
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constraints and greater production
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latitude, its civil aviation sector does
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not currently match western competitors
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in technological advancement.
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Technology transfer remains selective
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and advanced areas such as avionics,
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material science and digital systems are
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often closely protected.
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India thus stands at a strategic
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The SJ00 partnership can serve as a
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capability building platform helping
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India develop regulatory expertise,
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certification experience and maintenance
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However, its success will depend on
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airline adoption, sustained investment
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and integration into a broader national
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Ultimately, India's aviation future will
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depend on a pragmatic multi-polar
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approach. By leveraging Russian
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collaboration while continuing
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engagement with Western partners and
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investing in domestic research and
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industry, India can gradually transition
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from licensed assembly to genuine design
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and manufacturing capability. If
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executed strategically, this approach
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may allow India to emerge as a resilient
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and globally integrated aerospace
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manufacturing hub in the decades ahead.
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