India wants more passenger jets. Can it also build them?

India’s aviation boom, delivery delays and a Russia tie-up revive the long-running question of building planes at home.

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IndiGo and Air India, which together hold over 90% of the market, have ordered nearly 1,500 planes over the next decade, highlighting soaring passenger demand.

This expansion hinges on Boeing and Airbus, which together supply 86% of the world's aircraft and faced "historically high" delivery backlogs in 2024 - delays expected to affect Indian orders too.

This has revived an old question: should India try to build its own passenger planes?

The prospect drew attention in October, when India and Russia signed an initial agreement in Moscow to manufacture the SJ-100 passenger plane in India, raising hopes for domestic aircraft production.