The ePlane Company, Chennai based startup is working on ways to reduce urban congestion and hopes to have a certified flying electric taxi prototype by March of next year. According to a senior executive, the company, which was founded out of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) in Madras, plans to start selling its drones in the near future with a payload capacity of two to six kilograms.
EPlane Company’s Innovative Ventures in Urban Mobility and Aerial Medical Assistance
Founder and CEO of ePlane Company Satya Chakravarthy announced that the company is working on an eVTOL (electric vertical takeoff and landing) aircraft, which will initially have three or four seats and be able to be transformed into an air ambulance. We plan to have the first certified prototype developed by March of the following year. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) certification will take an additional two years to obtain certifiaction, Chakravarthy informed.
According to the startup’s website, an ePlane can arrive at a location in 14 minutes compared to a personal vehicle’s 60-minute travel time. The company wants to use eVTOLs to reduce traffic in urban areas. In addition, drones are being developed by The ePlane company and should be available for purchase in the upcoming months. It intends to release a basic category of drones first, followed by an upgraded category.
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According to Chakravarthy, both drone payload capacities—2–6 kg and up to 50 kg—will allow them to travel up to 40–60 km in the air. InterGlobe Enterprises and US-based Archer Aviation, on the other hand, intend to introduce an all-electric air taxi service in India in 2026. The service will transport passengers in just seven minutes from Connaught Place in the nation’s capital to Gurugram in Haryana. IndiGo, the biggest airline in the nation, is owned by InterGlobe Enterprises.
Apart from the pilot, 200 eVTOL aircraft from Archer Aviation can accommodate four passengers. Regulations specifically for eVTOL aircraft have been prepared by the European Aviation Safety Authority (EASA). “Without requiring a lot of ground infrastructure, these electric air taxis provide quicker intra-city travel, which could lower emissions, noise, and traffic. Issues like safety worries, legal obstacles, and integration with current transportation networks require more investigation and attention. Notwithstanding these difficulties, the EASA website states that eVTOLs “may become a common sight in urban skies within the next 5 to 10 years, contingent upon resolving safety issues and regulatory complexities.”
