India is moving closer to domestically producing Russia’s advanced Su-57 stealth fighter jet, marking a major step in its fifth-generation air combat ambitions.
India is taking a big step towards obtaining its own fifth-generation stealth fighter jet. That is the conclusion that can be drawn based on the updates shared by Dr DK Sunil, Chairman and Managing Director of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), on the country’s plan to build the Russian Su-57 fighter jet under license in India. This is important news because talks on this deal began almost 14 months ago and now things are finally moving forward on the ground.
According to Dr. Sunil, a Russian team visited India and explained all the capabilities of the Su-57 to the Indian Air Force (IAF). They have also carefully studied HAL’s factories to see if our production lines are ready to build this advanced Russian aircraft.
After inspection, the Russian committee found that almost 50% of HAL’s existing facilities can be directly used for Su-57 production. However, some new investment will still be needed to improve the rest.
In simple words, India already has half of the setup ready; the other half needs new machines and tools.
Dr Sunil also confirmed that the Su-57 has already been delivered to Algeria, which became its first foreign customer in late 2025, and that the aircraft is now in active service there. This shows that the aircraft is combat-ready and is not just a prototype on paper.
Now, HAL is waiting for Russia to share the exact cost details. Once those figures come in, HAL will submit a full cost and schedule report to the Indian Air Force.
Russian defense agencies are also working to reduce the overall cost by using HAL’s former Su-30MKI production lines, the same ones that were used to build over 220 ‘4+ generation’ Su-30MKI aircraft in India over the years.
What makes the Su-57 so special?
For the uninitiated, the Su-57 ‘Felon’ is Russia’s most advanced fifth-generation stealth fighter. It is a twin-engine aircraft that can fly at a maximum speed of almost Mach 2 (about 2,470 km/h), which is twice the speed of sound.
The fighter jet has a combat range of about 3,500 kilometers and can rise up to 20,000 meters high in the sky. Its radar cross section (RCS), which basically means how easy it can be detected by enemy radars, is estimated to be as low as 0.1 to 1 square meter, making it very difficult to detect.
For comparison, a normal fighter jet like the Su-30MKI has an RCS of about 15 square meters. Therefore, in comparison, the Su-57 is almost invisible to radar.
The plane also carries weapons hidden inside internal compartments (to maintain its stealthy form), has advanced sensors and uses ‘super cruise’ technology, meaning it can fly at supersonic speed without burning extra fuel using afterburners.
India’s smart step-by-step plan
Reports in February said India’s Defense Ministry could first buy around 40 Su-57 jets directly from Russia to quickly boost the Air Force’s frontline force and then start building them inside India. This is the same smart strategy used previously with the Su-30MKI: first import 50 aircraft and then manufacture them locally.
In January 2026, the Ministry of Defense confirmed that the talks had reached an advanced technical stage. Even more exciting, in June 2025, Russia made a rare offer to share the complete Su-57 source code with India. This is huge, because it means India can freely customize the plane with its own Indian-made technologies, something France has refused to do with the Rafale, which is actually an older, lighter ‘4+ generation’ plane. This single reason has been blocking any Rafale license production deal.
In December 2025, a senior Russian official even suggested that India and Russia could jointly develop a new version of the Su-57, giving India ownership rights over key technologies.
An IAF officer later said that if the Russian airframe and engines are combined with Indian avionics and software, the resulting aircraft could be even better than the American F-35. There are also reports that a smaller version of India’s Virupaksha AESA radar could be fitted to the Indian Su-57.
If this deal goes through, India won’t just buy a stealth fighter: it will actually own one.
Published: April 20, 2026, 09:35 pm IST
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