The agreement on the joint work in helicopter engineering between the two countries’ governments was signed during the official visit of India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Moscow last December. Around 200 Ka-226T helicopters and derivative models are to be built under the agreement. Sixty machines are to be manufactured in Russia and the remainder — by a joint effort in India. The agreement also contemplates maintenance, operation, repair, and technical support of helicopters.

“Negotiations are currently underway in India between Russian Helicopters and HAL corporation. The parties are discussing the prospect of involving several companies in the Ka-226T project under the framework of the Make in India program. At this point options for the helicopter’s exterior design are being decided on, the areas of responsibilities are being allocated, and cooperation issues are being elaborated”, Ekaterina Pavlova, spokesperson for Russian Helicopters holding company, was quoted as saying by RIA Novosti.

Designed by a subsidiary of Russian Helicopters, Kamov company, the Ka-226T light multipurpose helicopter is manufactured at the Kumertau Aviation Production Enterprise. It has a coaxial rotor design providing superior handling and power-to-weight ratio.

The Ka-226T offers advanced flight control and navigation equipment. The helicopter can easily maneuver in high-density high-rise urban areas and in mountainous terrain. The absence of the tail rotor and the compact size allows it to use small landing sites.

The Ka-226T produces low-level noise and meets the latest environmental requirements. The machine features a replaceable transportation module repurposing the helicopter for a different mission within a short period of time.