India: Sarla Aviation begins testing its eVTOL in Bengaluru
Sarla Aviation has developed a half-scale electric eVTOL called ‘Sylla SYL-X1,’ featuring a 7.5- metre wingspan. The company says this is the country’s largest and most advanced private eVTOL of its kind.
The Bengaluru-based startup developed the Sylla SYL-X1 in just about nine months, with significantly lower capital outlay compared to most global eVTOL programmes. The company has begun ground testing, marking the key transition from virtual development and laboratory-scale work to its core validation phase. It is using the half-scale prototype to assess the structural behaviour, the integration of the propulsion system, and the overall safety system.
In a brief conversation with electrive.com about the new phase of development, Sarla Aviation stated that the Sylla SYL-X1 is fully electric, but the production version will have a hybrid system to enable longer-range operations. The company plans to carry forward the name of the concept it unveiled at this year’s Bharat Mobility Expo, ’Shunya,’ with a suffix for the 15-metre full-scale aircraft. Sarla Aviation had a little over ten people working on engineering and conceptualisation nine months ago, and now, it has a team of nearly 70 engineers.
It has raised $13 million dollars (approximately €11 million euros) to date to support its first air taxi project. Adrian Schmidt, the company’s co-founder and CEO, previously worked in design roles at prominent carmakers like Mercedes-Benz, Nio, and Volkswagen, as well as German air taxi startup Lilium. Rakesh Gaonkar, the co-founder and CTO of Sarla Aviation, holds a much stronger background in automotive design, having worked at GM, Italdesign, Mahindra & Mahindra, Citroën, Audi, Nio, and BMW, as well as Lilium.
Commenting on the commencement of ground testing, Gaonkar said: “This milestone reflects what’s possible when globally experienced Indian engineering teams build with rigour, patience, and world-class standards. Our focus has never been on being first, but on building to last — on creating an aviation giant.”
Earlier this month, Sarla Aviation signed an MoU with Goa, a popular tourist state along India’s west coast, to jointly evaluate deploying air taxis across the state. If the plan succeeds, this could make Goa India’s first Coastal Aerial Mobility State. Last month, the company signed an MoU with its home state, Karnataka, to explore the launch of its air taxi from airports and city centres to the flagship properties of Jungle Lodges & Resorts, a state-owned wildlife and eco-tourism company.
The Shunya concept Sarla Aviation introduced in January is a six-seat hybrid electric air taxi powered by seven electric motors that can provide speeds of up to 250 km/h.Two battery packs can help it fly up to 150 kilometres, and a SAF (sustainable aviation fuel) tank can extend the range to up to 800 kilometres. The company will build the production version at a new factory in Thimmasamudram, a village in Andhra Pradesh, a neighbouring state of Karnataka.
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