Aspera Eureka: The Bengaluru Cargo Plane That Lands on Water and Targets Under $1 per Tonne-Km
Verdict: Aspera Industries, a Bengaluru startup founded in June 2025, has unveiled Eureka, an autonomous amphibious cargo aircraft that takes off and lands on water, carries 1,000 kg over a stated 2,000 km, and targets an operating cost below $1 per tonne-kilometre. If the numbers hold, it sits exactly in the gap between slow, cheap shipping and fast, expensive air freight. The engineering bet…
Aspera Industries, a Bengaluru-based startup, has introduced Eureka, an innovative autonomous amphibious cargo plane capable of taking off and landing on water. This aircraft, designed to carry up to 1,000 kg of cargo over a distance of 2,000 km, aims to operate at a cost of less than $1 per tonne-kilometre. The company's target market includes New Zealand, Australia, Southeast Asia, and eventually India.
Eureka's unique feature lies in its retractable hydrofoils, which lift the hull out of the water during takeoff and landing, thus eliminating the drag associated with traditional seaplanes. This engineering approach enables the aircraft to utilize existing water infrastructure, such as rivers, lakes, and coastlines, without the need for costly airport construction.
The company's founder, Khushi Mittal, launched Aspera in June 2025 after her studies at the University of Alberta, driven by the realization that 80% of global trade is conducted by sea, while air freight costs are 20 times higher. By bridging the gap between slow, cheap shipping and fast, expensive air freight, Eureka aims to revolutionize cargo transportation by providing a method that combines the speed of air travel with the cost efficiency of sea freight.
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