Tata Elxsi inks pact with Sarla Aviation to make air taxi platform Shunya

Bengaluru: Tata Elxsi and advanced air mobility firm Sarla Aviation have entered into a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to drive the creation of Shunya, a six-seater electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft that both companies claim will be India's first of its kind. Sharing prices for Tata Elxsi rose 2.26% to ₹3,656.70 on the NSE by 12:30 pm on Tuesday.

Tata Elxsi will back Sarla Aviation in building and testing flight-critical systems for Shunya such as avionics, flight control systems, software integration, verification and validation, and certification. Sarla Aviation will take charge of the aircraft's overall design, development, and type certification. Shunya, engineered to accommodate six passengers and one pilot, is expected to cover over 300 km on a single flight.

The aircraft merges vertical take-off and landing with fixed-wing cruise capability, aiming for runway-independent operations and enhanced propulsion efficiency during cruise. Sarla Aviation aims for Shunya's maiden flight in 18-24 months, followed by certification procedures. The MoU also paves the way for Tata Elxsi to contribute in sensor-fusion-based navigation software, industrial and structural design, and airworthiness testing.

Tata Elxsi's CEO, Manoj Raghavan, highlighted the company's experience in complex aerospace systems as an asset for Shunya's journey from concept to reality. Both entities believe the collaboration could extend benefits to logistics, air ambulance services, and defence applications. The MoU was signed at Sarla Aviation's newly opened headquarters in Bengaluru, marking a significant step towards the urban air mobility revolution.