HAL Revives Sukhoi Production Line at Nashik, Plans 12 Su-30MKIs for IAF by 2028-29

Hindustan Aeronautics Limited is preparing to restart the dormant Sukhoi fighter production line at its Nashik facility, a move expected to add fresh aircraft to the Indian Air Force’s inventory while also feeding into a wider effort to modernise and indigenise the Su-30MKI fleet.

According to a report by The Economic Times cited by Moneycontrol, the revived line is expected to deliver about 12 Sukhoi fighter aircraft to the IAF by 2028–29. The first aircraft from the restarted production line is reportedly likely to be handed over in 2027–28.

The decision comes as the IAF continues to face a significant shortfall in fighter strength. The service currently operates around 29 active fighter squadrons against a sanctioned strength of 42, increasing pressure to both induct new aircraft and sustain the combat effectiveness of existing fleets.

Nashik is not new to Sukhoi production. HAL’s facility there had earlier built 222 fighter aircraft for the IAF before that production run concluded around 2019–20. After the completion of that order, the site largely shifted its focus to repair and overhaul work, while also preparing for another production line linked to the Light Combat Aircraft programme.

The latest move follows a December 2024 order for additional fighter aircraft, intended in part to make up for aircraft lost in operations and accidents. The revived manufacturing effort is expected to provide additional capacity for the IAF’s Su-30MKI fleet, which remains one of the service’s most important combat assets.

A notable element of the renewed production programme is the planned increase in domestic content. HAL is reportedly aiming to manufacture the new aircraft with around 50 percent Indian-made components. That would expand indigenous participation in the programme, strengthen domestic aerospace supply chains and support the broader goal of reducing reliance on imported parts.

The Nashik facility’s role is expected to extend beyond building additional aircraft. It is also set to be involved in upgrading the IAF’s existing Su-30MKI fleet, a programme that the report estimates could involve expenditure of around Rs 60,000 crore.

The proposed upgrade effort is expected to include the Defence Research and Development Organisation as well as Indian private-sector companies that would produce critical components. If implemented as outlined, that would widen the industrial base supporting the Su-30MKI and bring more domestic firms into a programme centred on one of the IAF’s principal fighter platforms.

The modernisation plan is intended to improve the capabilities of the current Sukhoi fleet and keep the aircraft effective in a changing operational environment. Given the Su-30MKI’s central place in the IAF’s fighter force, both continued production and upgrades carry operational importance for the service.

In that sense, the restart at Nashik is not just the reopening of an assembly line. It ties together multiple objectives: replenishing fleet numbers, replacing losses, extending the relevance of the existing Su-30MKI inventory and increasing the share of Indian-made components in a major combat aircraft programme.

At a time when the IAF is pursuing both indigenous platforms and additional advanced fighters, the revived Sukhoi line is expected to provide another route to strengthening squadron strength while supporting the longer-term modernisation of one of India’s key combat aircraft fleets.