SAO PAULO, March 9 (Reuters) - Brazilian planemaker

Embraer ( EMBJ ) could roll out E175-E1 regional jets from a

potential production line in India as early as 2028, but the

plan hinges on orders for at least 200 aircraft, CEO Francisco

Gomes Neto told Reuters on Friday.

Earlier this year, Embraer ( EMBJ ) and India's Adani Group had

announced a memorandum of understanding to establish a final

assembly line for the Brazilian firm's first-generation

jetliners in India.

Such a move would mark a significant win for the Indian

government, which has urged planemakers to build jets locally,

and a geographic shift for Embraer ( EMBJ ), which currently produces

commercial jets only in Brazil.

"Of course, we will not start a significant investment

without orders. That's the first point, we need the orders. And

what we're saying is this: to set up an assembly line, we need

at least 200 aircraft to be produced there," Gomes Neto said.

If orders are secured by the end of 2026, the company would

be able to start delivering planes in 2028, he added.

"It's roughly 24 months, which we believe is enough to begin

making it happen. They know that, it's clear to us," the CEO

said.

Gomes Neto said Embraer ( EMBJ ) has identified at least 1,800 Indian

routes that could be operated by E1s - jets that seat up to 88

people and are essential to U.S. regional aviation but have

lacked demand elsewhere in recent years.

The executive noted that a plant in India would help Embraer ( EMBJ )

boost production while filling its hybrid line in Brazil with

orders for the newer E2 family, which has seen strong global

demand.

Embraer ( EMBJ ), which initially targeted reaching 100 commercial

aircraft deliveries in a single year in 2028, now sees scope to

hit the milestone in 2027, the CEO said.

SAUDI ARABIA NO LONGER A C-390 HOTSPOT

In addition to commercial aircraft, Embraer ( EMBJ ) has also

partnered in India with Mahindra on the C-390 military cargo

jet, calling the country a "strategic market" for its defense

unit.

Saudi Arabia, the European Union, and the United States also

earned that label in 2024, but Gomes Neto said prospects have

now dimmed for an order from the Middle Eastern country.

"It continues to be a business front, but it's not in the

hotspot for us right now," he said, adding that Embraer ( EMBJ ) is

instead focusing on India and the United States.

Embraer ( EMBJ ) had hoped to replace Saudi Arabia's aging fleet of

Lockheed Martin's ( LMT ) C-130. In 2023, when President Luiz Inacio

Lula da Silva visited the country, it signed a deal with SAMI,

which has the backing of Saudi public wealth fund PIF, to

explore a potential C-390 assembly line there.

"We have a good product there, but I believe they had the

vision of having a larger aircraft," Gomes Neto said. "It's

still on our radar, but no longer in the hotspot."