India and the Czech Republic are exploring a partnership to develop and manufacture 19-seater, 40-seater and 90-seater aircraft in India, with the proposed aircraft intended to serve regional connectivity routes under the UDAN scheme and potentially international markets.
Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu said the proposal was discussed during a meeting with Czech Deputy Prime Minister Karel Havlíček. The discussions focused on combining India’s demand for regional air travel with the Czech Republic’s aircraft manufacturing expertise, according to the minister’s statement cited by Economic Times.
The proposed aircraft range covers three passenger capacities. The 19-seater and 40-seater models would be suited to smaller regional markets, while the 90-seater aircraft would address routes with higher demand. The minister did not announce a final agreement, production location, investment amount or manufacturing timeline.
Naidu said the discussions were aimed at developing aircraft in India to connect destinations covered by UDAN, the government’s regional connectivity programme. The proposal would also involve manufacturing aircraft for global markets, according to the minister’s post on X.
UDAN seeks to improve air connectivity to regional destinations by supporting routes that may not otherwise be commercially viable. Aircraft with smaller seating capacities can be used on routes where passenger demand is lower than on major metropolitan connections. The proposed collaboration therefore links aircraft production with the operational requirements of regional aviation.
The minister described the discussions as an opportunity to advance the government’s regional connectivity and Make in India objectives. The Czech side’s participation brings aircraft manufacturing expertise into the proposed partnership, while India’s expanding demand for regional air travel forms the intended market base.
The discussion also places aircraft manufacturing alongside airport and route development as part of regional aviation planning. Any future implementation would need to establish the aircraft design, certification process, manufacturing arrangement, financing structure and the destinations to be served. None of those details was provided in the announcement.
The proposal remains at the exploration stage. Further announcements would be required to confirm whether the two countries proceed to a formal agreement, identify Indian manufacturing facilities and specify when the first aircraft could be produced or deployed on UDAN routes.
