India is one of the fastest-growing aviation markets in the world. IndiGo and Air India, which together dominate over 90% of the market, have ordered nearly 1,500 planes for the next ten years. But Boeing and Airbus, which supply 86% of global aircraft, face huge delivery delays in 2024. This will also affect India. This has revived the big question: can India build its own passenger planes? In October, India and Russia signed a deal in Moscow to manufacture the SJ-100 passenger plane in India. The SJ-100 is a twin-engine aircraft seating up to 103 passengers and is already used by Russian airlines. Delhi calls the SJ-100 a "game changer" for short routes. But experts worry about the cost and challenges ahead. The Russian firm made about 200 SJ-100s between 2008 and 2020. Since Russia’s war on Ukraine started in 2022, sanctions cut off parts. The aircraft had to switch to an "import-substituted" version in 2023, and Europe banned Russian planes, including the SJ-100, from its airspace. India’s past attempts at building passenger planes have been limited. The National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL), set up in 1959, made small planes but not large passenger jets. Hindustan Aeronautics Limited produced British and German licensed planes in the past, but these are old models. Projects like the NAL Saras and the Regional Transport Aircraft (RTA) have moved slowly, with accidents and certification delays. Dr. Abhay Pashilkar of NAL says the main problems were low domestic demand, lack of skilled workers, and a small manufacturing base. He suggests working with both Indian and global makers to boost growth. Gopal Sutar, former HAL spokesperson, calls the SJ-100 deal a "practical approach" since Indian projects are far from ready. He adds, "Sanctions could pose challenges, but that would have been factored in by both countries." Russia remains a "steadfast supporter" of India. Beyond planes, India also needs trained pilots. Recently, IndiGo canceled thousands of flights due to poor pilot scheduling, stranding many passengers. While the India-Russia deal for the SJ-100 raises questions, it could jumpstart India’s domestic aircraft production amid soaring demand and supplier delays.