Tata Elxsi, Sarla Aviation sign MoU to build India’s first indigenous eVTOL aircraft
The collaboration may also extend to sensor fusion-based navigation software, structural design and airworthiness test support
Tata Elxsi Limited and Sarla Aviation have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding to collaborate on the development of Shunya, India's first indigenous electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft designed for six passengers plus a pilot. The partnership aims to leverage Tata Elxsi's engineering expertise in avionics, flight control systems, software integration, testing, and certification, alongside Sarla Aviation's leadership in design, development, and type certification of the Shunya platform.
The innovative aircraft, capable of flights surpassing 300 kilometers, seeks to provide runway-independent operations by combining vertical take-off and landing with fixed-wing cruise efficiency. Tata Elxsi CEO Manoj Raghavan, along with Sarla Aviation Co-Founders Adrian Schmidt and Rakesh Gaonkar, announced the MoU in the presence of both companies' representatives.
The collaboration could potentially expand to encompass logistics, air ambulance services, and defense applications. Founded in 2023, Sarla Aviation, with Schmidt and Gaonkar at its helm, is driven by the mission to revolutionize regional air travel in India. The Bengaluru-based startup envisions connecting cities and regions swiftly while simultaneously constructing the comprehensive operational infrastructure necessary for scaling the service.
Written by urgent.news from Hindu BusinessLine's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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