India has taken a significant step towards manufacturing the SARAS Mk-II, an indigenous 19-seater civilian aircraft being developed by the CSIR-National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL). With the design phase now complete, the project has moved into prototype manufacturing and industry partnership discussions.
According to CSIR-NAL, the aircraft’s design has been frozen, and efforts are now focused on manufacturing, assembly and integration. While NAL will produce composite structures in-house, it is seeking industry partners for metallic components, paving the way for wider private-sector participation in the programme.
The SARAS Mk-II is being developed as a next-generation regional transport aircraft featuring a pressurised cabin, digital avionics, glass cockpit, autopilot and command-by-wire flight controls. Designed for short-haul operations, it is expected to strengthen regional air connectivity, particularly under initiatives such as UDAN, by serving smaller airports across the country.
Once operational, the aircraft is expected to reduce India’s dependence on imported regional aircraft while boosting the domestic aerospace manufacturing ecosystem. The programme represents another milestone in India’s push for self-reliance in civil aviation under the Make in India initiative.
