Indian aviation firm Omkam Aviations Pvt. Ltd. has signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) with Russia’s United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) for 50 IL-114-300 regional turboprop aircraft, with plans to begin with an initial batch of six aircraft before moving towards assembly and eventual manufacturing in India.
The proposed programme was discussed during the INNOPROM India trade fair at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi. According to Omkam Aviations Managing Director Peeyush Kumar Aggarwal, the first six aircraft are planned as the initial batch, followed by the establishment of an assembly line in India and technology transfer from UAC. The company has also outlined a longer-term objective of manufacturing the aircraft in India under a proposed full Transfer of Technology agreement.
Omkam Aviations has estimated an initial investment of around ₹1,500 crore for the first six aircraft and their support systems. The investment is expected to increase as the proposed project progresses towards larger-scale manufacturing in India. The company has also said that Russia’s Sberbank has expressed support in principle for financing the proposed venture.
The IL-114-300 is a Russian twin-engine turboprop regional aircraft designed to carry around 66 to 68 passengers. UAC has positioned the aircraft for regional passenger operations and highlighted its potential role in supporting India’s regional aviation network. The aircraft is intended to operate on regional routes, including airports with shorter runways and relatively limited ground infrastructure.
UAC has also presented the IL-114-300 at INNOPROM India as part of its broader proposal for expanding Russian aircraft operations and localisation in the Indian aviation market. The company’s official announcement said the exhibition would highlight opportunities for localisation of aircraft production and after-sales support in India.
The proposed aircraft programme is aimed in part at India’s growing regional aviation market. Omkam Aviations has said that the IL-114-300 could support direct connectivity between smaller Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities and larger economic centres. Potential regional connections mentioned by the company include cities such as Noida, Agra and Pune.
The IL-114-300 is also being promoted by UAC for applications beyond conventional passenger operations. According to Rostec, the aircraft can potentially be used for passenger services as well as mail and goods transportation, medical and rescue operations. UAC has linked the aircraft’s potential deployment in India with the country’s UDAN regional connectivity programme, which seeks to improve air access to smaller cities and regional airports.
Omkam’s proposal comes as Russia’s UAC seeks to expand the presence of the IL-114-300 in the Indian market. UAC has separately announced agreements involving Indian aviation companies for a total of 85 IL-114-300 aircraft, including a 50-aircraft LOI and a separate memorandum covering 35 aircraft. UAC said that aircraft supply schedules, maintenance arrangements and localisation obligations would be formalised through separate customer agreements.
For the Omkam project, the next stages will involve progressing the proposed aircraft acquisition, finalising arrangements for Indian assembly and working towards the planned technology-transfer framework. UAC CEO Vadim Badekha has said that the first aircraft supplied to Indian operators would be produced in Russia while the localisation process is developed, which is expected to take time.
If the proposed roadmap progresses through the required commercial agreements, regulatory approvals and localisation arrangements, the initiative could create a new platform for regional aircraft operations and civil aviation manufacturing in India. For now, the 50-aircraft agreement remains an LOI, with the details of future production, deliveries and localisation to be formalised through subsequent agreements.
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