Sakthi Aircraft to Begin Private Trainer Aircraft Production in 2026

The Coimbatore-based Sakthi Aircraft Industry Pvt Ltd (SAIPL) is set to begin trainer aircraft manufacturing at Tiruppur in Tamil Nadu, creating India’s first private-sector facility of its kind.

Manufacturing will start in January 2026, with deliveries expected in February or March, said D Vaibhav, Managing Director and CEO, SAIPL. The move is expected to reduce dependence on imported aircraft used by Flying Training Organisations (FTOs).

The Sakthi Group is investing ₹750 crore in the project, covering the Tiruppur plant and a smaller facility in Uttar Pradesh for production tooling, maintenance infrastructure, and licensing. Austria-based Diamond Aircraft is supporting the program through technology transfer and licensing. “We plan to start manufacturing in January 2026, with deliveries expected in February or March 2026,” Vaibhav said.

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Diamond Aircraft, the world’s third-largest general aviation aircraft manufacturer with more than 5,500 aircraft in service, already has its DA40 NG trainer aircraft operating with about 10 FTOs in India. The Tiruppur project is aimed at strengthening the aviation training ecosystem with locally built trainer aircraft.

India’s aviation market growth is driving demand for pilots and training capacity. “To support this growth, India will require an additional 10,000–15,000 commercial pilots by 2030,” Vaibhav said. Limited FTO capacity has forced many students to train overseas at higher costs.

SAIPL plans deliveries of 40 aircraft in 2026 and an annual capacity of 100 aircraft by 2027. About 80 percent of manufacturing will take place at Tiruppur, with the rest at IGRUA, where SAIPL will also act as the sole authorized MRO provider for Diamond Aircraft in India. An FTO official said meeting future demand will be the key challenge.