Sarla Aviation, an innovative aerospace startup focused on electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, has unveiled its first prototype air taxi, named Shunya, at the Bharat Mobility Global Expo.
Shunya: A new idea for city travel in India
Shunya aims to change how people move around in cities in India. It hopes to fly to Bengaluru by 2028 and plans to go to big places like Mumbai, Delhi, and Pune. This big plan seeks to fix issues like heavy traffic and bad air, giving people a green and fast way to travel.
Details about Shunya
The prototype has an impressive design:
Room: Fits up to six people.
Load: Can carry a max of 680 kg, making it the top eVTOL for load.
Speed: Can go as fast as 250 km/h, made for quick city trips of 20-30 km.
Shunya could help cut down travel times in busy places, changing how people get to work every day.
Cheap flights for everyone
Sarla Aviation wants to make air travel in cities open to many people. At first, rides will cost the same as high-end cab services, but the goal is to bring costs down to match auto-rickshaw fares. This change could let more people use air taxis, changing how we think about city travel.
Grounded in Indian ideas
Adrian Schmidt, the co-founder and CEO, shared the company’s goals:
“Shunya is not just a new tech. It shows our wish to change city travel while fixing big issues like traffic and bad air. By using the Atma Nirbhar Bharat idea, we are making top-notch, homegrown ideas that put India in front of global aviation tech.”
Money to push ideas
Sarla Aviation got $10 million in Series A1 funding. The round was led by Accel and got help from well-known names like Flipkart’s Binny Bansal and Zerodha’s Nikhil Kamath.
This cash will help the startup grow its tech and set up a top research and design area.
Plans beyond just travel
Sarla Aviation does not just want to focus on everyday commutes. They plan to roll out a free air ambulance service for quick medical aid in cities. This plan could change how we respond to emergencies in health care by cutting down wait times.
Sarla Aviation’s new ideas and goals hint at a new time for flying in India, setting the path for a cleaner, quicker, and better-connected future.
