Deutsche Aircraft, in collaboration with the Aerospace India Association, Cyient, Dynamatic Technologies and SASMOS HET, announced strategic outcomes from the Aviation Partnership Summit held on 5 November at JW Marriott Aerocity, in New Delhi. The summit convened key stakeholders from aviation, government and investment sectors to shape the future of India's regional aviation.

India's Aviation Growth: A Strategic Inflection Point

India's domestic aviation market is the third largest globally, with over 220 million passengers in 2024. The government's UDAN scheme is driving connectivity to Tier II and III cities, creating demand for aircraft tailored to short routes and challenging environments.

"India is the largest growth market for regional aviation and already a crucial partner for the D328eco programme," said Nico Neumann, CEO of Deutsche Aircraft. "During the event, we aspired to better understand market needs and develop a joint strategy to strengthen our partnerships and support ambitions under the UDAN scheme."

D328eco^®: Designed for India

The D328eco is a 40-seater turboprop aircraft optimised for India's regional needs:

• High-altitude and hot-weather performance
• 100% SAF compatibility for sustainable operations
• Quiet, ergonomic cabin suited for India's youthful demographic
• Digital Garmin cockpit for enhanced pilot efficiency
• 55% break-even load factor, ideal for low-density UDAN routes
• Optimal range of 100–300 NM, covering 90% of India's regional flights

Summit Themes: Wings of Opportunity

During the one-day summit, discussions centred around five essential themes for propelling India's aviation market into its next phase of exponential growth:

• Regional Connectivity – Expanding access to underserved regions through modern aircraft and infrastructure.
• Sustainable Aviation – Decouple India's growth from carbon impact with SAF, efficient design and innovative systems.
• Fleet Modernisation – Replacing aging aircraft with next-gen turboprops like the D328eco.
• Collaborative Manufacturing – Strengthening Indo-German supply chains and technology transfer.
• Investment Opportunities – Attracting global capital to support aviation infrastructure and innovation.

Partner Contributions to 'Make in India'

A number of Indian partners are contributing significantly to the structures and systems of the new D328eco. This collaboration leverages India's manufacturing and digital engineering expertise to integrate high-value components directly into the aircraft.

For the airframe, Dynamatic Technologies manufactures the crucial rear fuselage of the D328eco at a dedicated assembly line in Bangalore. CEO Udayant Malhoutra emphasised the scale of this effort, stating, "This partnership is a milestone in India's aerospace manufacturing journey."

Cyient's partnership with Deutsche Aircraft underscores our commitment to innovation in sustainable aviation," said Sukamal Banerjee, Executive Director and CEO, Cyient. "With our expertise in design engineering, AI-driven solutions, and manufacturing, we're proud to support the D328eco program—enhancing efficiency, passenger experience, and shaping the future of aerospace technology."

SASMOS HET develops advanced EWIS & electrically integrates the flight-critical electrical & electronics subsystems onboard the D328eco^® aircraft.

"This collaboration was driven by a clear objective — to harness SASMOS's specialized expertise in electrical integration of the onboard electrical and electronic subsystems, complemented by reliable interconnectivity solutions that are designed and manufactured in India," said H.G. Chandrashekar, CMD, SASMOS.

Engaging India's Aviation Ecosystem

The summit featured high-level panels, networking sessions and strategic discussions with key figures from industry and government. It emphasised inclusive dialogue and long-term partnerships to shape India's aviation future.