The photo featured here is of the first SARAS prototype on its maiden flight in Bangalore in 2004.

When people think of airplanes, a few names come automatically to mind like Boeing and Airbus. But it appears that India wants to get in on some of the action with its own aircraft the SARAS.

The SARAS is India’s attempt at creating homegrown aeronautics industry geared initially at the domestic market. Powered by two turboprop Pratt and Whitney engines, the Saras is capable of landing on small airstrips, making it an ideal choice for transporting people in the country.

Though it is still in the design stage, the first available SARAS aircraft will most likely be purchased by the Indian government as early as 2010 in order to create a market for the SARAS. It is hoped that in boosting production the overall costs of the airplane will become competitive allowing it to compete globally. Only time will tell if India’s SARAS will take it’s own chunk of the lucrative aeronautics industry.