Adani Defence & Aerospace has recently signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Embraer to explore opportunities for aircraft manufacturing in India.

If executed with sustained focus on certification, supplier development, and industrial scale, the partnership could support India's commercial aircraft export ambitions and strengthen its position in the global supply chain, says intelligence and productivity platform GlobalData.

Although India is one of the world's fastest-growing aviation markets supported by rising passenger volumes and fleet expansion, most commercial aircrafts are still imported, and local manufacturing remains relatively small.

GlobalData noted taht Tata Advanced Systems is the only other private player to manufacture aircrafts in India with the C-295 platforms, which it is touting for commercial applications.

Meanwhile, Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) has recently partnered with Russia’s United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) to manufacture SJ-100 aircrafts in the country.

GlobalData's latest Commercial Aircraft Orders and Deliveries dashboard indicates that the Asia-Pacific region as a whole ordered 209 aircraft from Embraer during the 2011–2025 period, accounting for 11.4% of Embraer's total global sales over the same period.

This demand outlook remains strong, with airlines in India and South Asia reportedly projected to require nearly 3,300 new aircraft by 2044 as air traffic continues to rise.

Vinayak Kamath, aerospace and defense analyst at GlobalData, said "the MoU reflects a pragmatic effort to establish export-ready aerospace manufacturing capability in India. While domestic demand is robust, the longer-term opportunity lies in building certified production processes and a deep supplier base that can support Embraer programs globally."

The Adani–Embraer agreement also comes as airlines and OEMs intensify their focus on supply resilience following disruptions in major aircraft programs in recent years, especially Boeing-related delivery delays and order cancellations after safety incidents, which have prompted a broader reassessment of the supply-chain.

"India's commercial aerospace ecosystem is evolving quickly, and supply-chain diversification by global OEMs is creating a window for India to move up the value chain — from components and sub-assemblies toward higher-value modules and, over time, more integrated manufacturing," Kamath said.

Partnership-led industrialization is particularly relevant for commercial aerospace, where consistent quality, on-time delivery, and airworthiness compliance determine competitiveness. Aligning Indian manufacturing with Embraer's program standards can help accelerate capability development across aerostructures and systems integration," he added.