NEW DELHI, March 14 (Itar-Tass) — The president of Russia’s United Aircraft Corporation (OAC), Mikhail Pogosyan, said in an interview with the Indian newspaper Hindu, “We are planning to sell in India about 100 passenger aircraft by 2030, which will account for 10 percent of the Indian market of airliners in the 60 to 220-seat segment.” According to Pogosyan, “the first contracts may be signed as early as next year.”
He believes that “the India Aviation 2012 show, which opened in Hyderabad on Wednesday, will mark the beginning of a marketing campaign to sell Russian-built airliners in India and South Asian markets.”
In Hyderabad, the corporation will present its airliner Sukhoi Superjet-100 and a full-scale prototype of a cockpit and compartment of a new MS-21 aircraft, currently in the development phase. “We are interested in inviting Indian companies to take part in the MS-21 programme,” Pogosyan said.
“The unprecedented scope of Russian-Indian cooperation in military aviation has created the scientific and engineering basis for undertaking joint projects in civil aviation,” he added.
“Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and the Sukhoi Design Bureau have started work on the preliminary design of the fifth generation fighter aircraft (FGFA), the Indian variant of Russia’s Perspective Multi-role Fighter (PMF)," the UAC chief said.
“We’re working as one team. Indian specialists are in Moscow, while a Russian team is in Bangalore.”
Pogosyan also said Russia and India plan to sign by July a preliminary design contract for the Multirole Transport Aircraft (MTA), which the two countries will jointly build for their air forces.